Trent Zimmerman is the well established and well recognized Solicitor and barrister in Canada. Trent Zimmerman is sharing tips to all the young lawyers as well as aspirants the tips that can help them to get success in the courtroom.

1. FOLLOW THE TIPS TO GET
SUCCESS IN THE
COURTROOM:
BY: TRENT ZIMMERMAN

3. TRENT ZIMMERMAN: INTRODUCTION
Trent Zimmerman is one of the influential Solicitor & Barrister
and has been considered as the best representative in Canada.
Trent Zimmerman is considered as a pragmatic and forward
thinking lawyer

4. MEET YOUR DEADLINES.
• Once you file the necessary papers to begin a lawsuit, you will
face a number of deadlines -- for everything from requesting
that your case be heard by a jury to telling your opponent what
evidence you plan to introduce at trial. Make careful note of
these deadlines and make sure that you meet every one. The
judge won't give you any leeway just because you are
representing yourself -- and missing an important deadline
could result in your case being thrown out of court

5. WATCH SOME TRIALS.
• Before your case comes up for trial, go down to the courthouse
and sit in on a couple of trials involving similar issues. You'll
see that it won't be that difficult to present your story and your
evidence to the judge. When you know what to expect, you'll be
much more relaxed about your own trial.

7. CHOOSE A JUDGE OR JURY TRIAL.
Certain types of cases can only be heard by judges. In many
cases, however, either party has the right to request that the
case be heard by a jury. Most people representing themselves
will do better in front of a judge than a jury -trials are more
complicated for a variety of reasons, and presenting your case to
a judge will make your job quite a bit easier. However, if your
opponent requests a jury trial, you will have to deal with a jury,
whether you want one or not.

8. LEARN THE ROPES.
Lawyers spend years learning how to question witnesses, present
evidence, and make arguments in court. Before you make your
courtroom debut, you should learn the basics about how to
follow the procedures and rules of the courtroom and how to
prove your case. First, ask the court clerk for a copy of your
court's local rules, which may include everything from deadlines
for various trial procedures to nitpicky restrictions on how small
your font can be in documents you submit to the court.

9. LEARN THE ELEMENTS OF YOUR CASE.
You won't win a lawsuit by simply striding into the courthouse and
demanding money from your opponent. Each type of legal claim has a
number of "elements" that you'll need to prove in order to win. For
example, in a dispute over a contract, you must prove that a contract
existed, that you held up your end of the bargain, that your opponent
failed to meet his or her contractual obligations, and that you were
harmed as a result. You'll want to plan ahead carefully to make sure
that you can prove every element of your case -- or, if you are
defending yourself against a lawsuit, to make sure that you can
disprove at least one element of your opponent's case.

10. MAKE SURE YOUR EVIDENCE IS ADMISSIBLE.
Once you know the elements you'll have to prove to win your
case, you can figure out what types of evidence will help you
prove each key fact. However, not every kind of evidence can be
presented in a courtroom: Complicated rules of evidence
determine whether a particular document, statement, or item is
admissible in court. Although you don't have to master every
detail of these rules, you should do enough research to make
sure that you'll be able to present the evidence you need to win.

11. PREPARE A TRIAL NOTEBOOK.
During your trial, you'll probably give your own testimony,
question witnesses (both those who support you and those who
support your opponent), and present arguments about why you
should win the case. To keep track of the questions you want to
ask, the points you want to make in your argument, and the facts
you have to prove to win the case, put together a trial notebook.
You can use a simple three-ring binder with tabs for each
section.

12. BE RESPECTFUL.
A little respect goes a long way in the courtroom, particularly
when you are representing yourself. Address the judge as "your
honor," not as "Judge Smith" or "Mr. Smith." Try your best to be
polite to your opponent, not demeaning or petty. Showing
respect for people and procedures in the courtroom will help you
gain the respect of the judge, which will make your day in court a
more pleasant experience.

13. DON'T INTERRUPT:
It can be tough to sit quietly while your opponent, your
opponent's lawyer, or -- worst of all -- the judge makes light of
your arguments or implies that you aren't telling the truth. But
no matter how frustrated you get, you shouldn't interrupt --
especially not the judge. You'll get a chance to tell your side of
the story.

14. ASSERT YOURSELF:
If you find yourself up against a lawyer who won't stop rattling off legal
citations or won't let you get a word in edgewise, you'll have to stand
up for yourself. Tell the judge that you are representing yourself
without a lawyer because you can't afford or justify the expense, and
that you'll rely on the judge to apply the correct law and reach the right
conclusions. Many judges will make an effort to keep the proceedings
comprehensible to a self-represented party -- and will take steps to
rein in an opposing lawyer who tries to take unfair advantage.
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15. THANKS!