Deanne Siemer is an elected life member of the American Law Institute who has served as managing director of the Washington, DC-based law firm Wilsie Co. since 1995. Among her other publications, Deanne Siemer authored the book Laying Foundations and Meeting Objections.
Released by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Laying Foundations and Meeting Objections explains how to justify court exhibits, protect them against oppositional objections, and ultimately ensure that the court admits them into evidence. The first section of the book outlines the basics of these processes for new and inexperienced attorneys who are structuring their deposition or trial notes.
Drawing upon the guidelines presented in the Federal Rules of Evidence of the US Supreme Court, this opening section recommends using transcript excerpts from previous court proceedings that show how similar exhibits became admitted as evidence. It also aids attorneys with witness questioning and objection responses that are designed to streamline the evidence admittance process.
