I NEED THIS TOMORROW PLEASE

Excellence  Component  for  Business  Law  (ENTB-­251)       You  will  use  the  following  hypothetical  legal  situation  to  complete  this  exercise:        

JayZ  and  TI  decide  to  start  a  record  label  together.    In  anticipation  of  the   label,  they  decide  they  need  a  recording  studio  in  Atlanta.    They  hire  Billy  Bob   Carter  Contracting  Services  to  build  it.    After  much  negotiation,  the  parties   agree  that  the  studio  will  be  built  in  2  phases.    First,  the  building  will  be   constructed.    Second,  all  the  required  interior  work  needed  for  the  sound   equipment  will  be  done.    JayZ  and  TI  insist  that  all  the  interior  work  be  done   using  teak  wood.    

    Billy  Bob  completes  construction  of  the  building.    Before  beginning   construction  of  the  interior,  a  beetle  epidemic  plagues  teak  trees  and  95%  of   the  trees  in  the  US  die.    As  a  result,  the  only  way  to  get  teak  is  to  import  it   from  Australia  at  a  price  five  times  the  amount  it  could  have  been  bought   here  prior  to  the  epidemic.    

    Billy  Bob  calls  up  JayZ  and  advises  him  that  he  will  not  do  the  interior   because  of  the  teak  situation  and  demands  payment  for  the  work  done.    JayZ   refuses.    Instead,  he  hires  Billy  Bob’s  rival,  Doug  E  Fresh,  to  finish  the  job.     Doug  E  Fresh  agrees  to  complete  the  work  for  ten  times  the  amount  that  JayZ   and  TI  had  initially  agreed  to  with  Billy  Bob.    

    Billy  Bob  sues  JayZ  and  TI  for  payment  for  the  work  completed.    They   countersue  him  for  the  full  amount  they  paid  Doug  E  Fresh.    

  The  parties  have  engaged  in  discovery  and  have  attended  mediation  where  they   were  unable  to  reach  a  settlement  agreement.    Thus,  they  are  proceeding  to  trial.       You  are  the  lawyer  for  either  Billy  Bob  (plaintiff  and  counter  defendant)  or  JayZ  and   TI  (defendants  and  counter  plaintiffs).    Choose  which  party  you  will  be  representing   and  then  submit  the  following:           1.    An  Opening  Statement;       2.    A  Direct  Examination  of  your  key  witness  –  include  each  question  you   intend  to  ask  and  how  you  believe  your  witness  will  answer;       3.    An  Exhibit  List  of  the  evidence  you  intend  to  introduce  at  trial  –  this   should  include  all  documents,  contracts,  emails,  etc  that  support  your  position  or   tend  to  disprove  the  other  side’s  position;  and     4.    A  Closing  Argument.            

  In  addition  to  the  discussion  of  the  above  referenced  topics  in  your  class  readings  in   Slideshow  2  -­‐  US  Legal  System,  you  may  want  to  check  out  the  following  sites.     However,  please  feel  free  to  do  further  research  yourself.    These  are  just   suggestions.           Opening  Statements:         1.    New  York  Law  Journal  –  Opening  to  Win:   http://www.cravath.com/files/Uploads/Documents/Publications/3317544_1.pdf  

2.    WikiHow  –  How  to  Write  an  Opening  Statement:  http://www.wikihow.com/Write- an-Opening-Statement       Despite  being  a  Wiki  site,  it  is  actually  very  instructive.           2.    Professor  Charles  Rose  –  Delivering  a  Superior  Opening  Statement:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6St4nsRqM4     Direct  Examination:       1.    University  of  Wisconsin  Law  book  –  Direct  Examination:   http://www.law.wisc.edu/evidence/ch03.html     2.    ABA  Journal  Law  News  Now  –  Direct  Answers:    Examining  a  Witness  is   Telling  a  Story-­‐So  Make  it  a  Good  One:   http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/direct_answers_examining_a_witness_is_telling_a_storyso_m ake_it_a_good_one/     3.    Caught.net  –  Direct  Examination  During  Trials:   http://caught.net/prose/advtt/hbdirect.htm     Closing  Arguments:         1.    ABA  article  –  Crafting  a  Closing  Argument  -­‐   http://www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/gp_solo_magazine_home/gp_solo_magazine_index/tri alpractice_craftingclosing.html     2.    WikiHow  –  How  to  Write  a  Closing  Argument  –  again,  another  Wiki  site   but  very  helpful:  http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Closing-Argument     3.    ABA  article  –  Thoughts  on  Closing  Arguments:   http://www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/law_trends_news_practice_area_e_newsletter_home/cl osingarguments.html        

Check  List  for  Evaluating  Assignment         Opening  Statement     Does  it  tell  the  client’s  story?     Does  it  address  evidence  and  testimony  that  will  be  presented  throughout  the  trial?   Does  it  highlight  key  facts  and  accommodate  bad  facts?         Does  it  have  a  ‘hook’  to  get  the  jury  interested?         Direct  Examination       Were  open-­‐ended  questions  used  so  the  witness  could  tell  his/her  story?     Are  the  questions  in  a  logical  order?   Do  the  questions  establish  the  party’s  theory  of  the  case?         Exhibit  List     Is  all  relevant  evidence  included  on  the  exhibit  list  and  described  with  specificity?         Closing  Argument       Does  it  recap  the  evidence  and  testimony  presented  throughout  trial?   Does  it  argue  why  the  jury  should  find  for  your  party?     Does  it  attack  the  other  side’s  theory  of  the  case?       Does  it  demonstrate  emotion/passion?