Philly Legal News

06/09/2026

New on Philly Legal News

Over the years, I had the opportunity to work with some outstanding trial lawyers, judges, professors, court reporters, litigation support professionals, and legal technology pioneers.

Many of these educational programs took place long before social media and cloud storage became part of everyday life. As I looked through old photographs, seminar materials, videos, and program archives, I realized there was a great deal of history worth preserving.

That's why I created the:

Legal Education, Trial Technology & Professional Archive

The archive includes materials from Temple University's LL.M. Trial Advocacy Program, IADC Trial Academy, FDCC Evolve and FedTechU programs, courtroom technology training, deposition presentation programs, and other professional educational events spanning several decades.

It also includes memories of many remarkable individuals who helped shape trial advocacy, legal education, and courtroom technology along the way.

If you participated in any of these programs—or simply have an interest in the evolution of trial advocacy and legal technology—I hope you'll enjoy taking a look.

🔗 https://phillylegalnews.com/legal-education-trial-technology-professional-archive/

Temple University Beasley School of Law The Oakes Firm

Historical archive preserving courtroom technology education, trial advocacy instruction, multimedia litigation systems, and the evolution of modern courtroom communication. What Is This Legal Tec…

05/11/2026

Explore the Trial & Deposition Technologies educational hub:

https://phillylegalnews.com/trial-deposition-technologies/

Philly Legal News YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/

Additional teaching programs, courtroom technology demonstrations, FDCC/IADC presentations, and Temple LL.M. seminar materials are being added regularly.
The Oakes Firm Temple University Beasley School of Law Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law The Legal Intelligencer Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law University of Pennsylvania

05/09/2026

Teaching Moments at Temple Law

One of the most rewarding parts of my career was helping teach courtroom technology and trial strategy at Temple University Beasley School of Law’s LL.M. in Trial Advocacy program.

This session with Jack Delany focused on “Tech Strategy: From Incident to Verdict” — discussing how trial technology, video depositions, visual evidence, and courtroom presentation systems can shape the way juries understand complex cases.

Many of the concepts we discussed years ago are now common tools in modern litigation.

More teaching videos and courtroom technology demonstrations are now being added to Philly Legal News.

The Oakes Firm

05/05/2026

Most people remember the movie Philadelphia.

But fewer know the real case that inspired it — and how it changed the legal landscape for workplace discrimination.

This isn’t just a film story.
It’s a Philadelphia courtroom story.

👉 We just updated this article with new insights and context:
https://phillylegalnews.com/the-case-that-inspired-the-movie-philadelphia/

Some cases don’t just make headlines — they reshape how justice is understood.
The Oakes Firm

The movie Philadelphia (1993) was inspired by real events, including a landmark first-impression AIDS discrimination case that began as a federal EEOC action. The case helped shape how workplace d…

04/12/2026

“Capture the moment on video — not just the written word.”
The Oakes Firm
In depositions and trial preparation, what a witness says is only part of the story.

The real impact often lies in how they say it.

Tone.
Pauses.
Facial expressions.
Body language.

These are the moments that don’t live on a transcript — but they can shape how a jury understands the truth.

Video allows you to preserve those moments. More importantly, it allows you to use them strategically — from deposition to opening, cross-examination, and closing.
Philly Legal Connect Temple University Beasley School of Law The Legal Intelligencer Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

04/11/2026

Some of the most important lessons in trial law don’t happen in a courtroom — they happen in a classroom.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and teach lawyers through Temple’s LL.M. in Trial Advocacy, focusing on how cases are actually built long before trial ever begins.

What many don’t realize is that the foundation of a successful case is often laid during depositions — how testimony is captured, preserved, and ultimately presented to a jury.

This is what I often refer to as “silent advocacy.”

👉 I’ve been writing more about this concept and how it plays out in real cases across Philadelphia.

Philly Legal Connect The Oakes Firm Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Temple University Beasley School of Law Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law The Legal Intelligencer IADC

04/10/2026

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with trial lawyers across the country, including teaching at FDCC’s Technology Training Program (Tech U).

These programs focus on preparation, courtroom discipline, and how juries actually receive information — the same principles behind what I’ve written about in my Silent Advocacy series.

If you’re interested in how small decisions in the courtroom can shape outcomes, I’ve put together a series of articles here:

👉 https://phillylegalnews.com/silent-advocacy-trial-law/

The Oakes Firm Philly Legal Connect

04/07/2026

Most trial lawyers focus on what to say in court.

But in my experience, the outcome is often shaped long before opening statements begin.

In courtrooms, depositions, and trial preparation, I’ve seen it over and over again—

Credibility isn’t built in closing arguments.
It’s built quietly.

Through preparation.
Through discipline.
Through how a case is organized and presented.

This is what I’ve come to understand as Silent Advocacy.

I’ve put together a full breakdown—along with lessons from George J. Lavin, Jr., and real courtroom experience that shaped how I view trial work today.

👉 https://phillylegalnews.com/silent-advocacy-trial-law/
The Oakes Firm Temple University Beasley School of Law IADC The Legal Intelligencer University of Pennsylvania Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

Silent advocacy in trial law is where cases are truly won—long before opening statements begin. Service as an official court reporter in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and the United State…

02/16/2026

On May 14, 1986, a naturalization ceremony at Independence Hall marked a powerful civic moment in Philadelphia history.

Presided over by the Honorable Norma L. Shapiro of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, new citizens stood inside the historic Assembly Room — where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated — and took the Oath of Citizenship.

This article reflects on that day, the rule of law, and what legal immigration and naturalization truly represent.

📖 Read the full piece:
https://phillylegalnews.com/a-spring-day-of-new-citizens-at-independence-hall-may-1986/

The Oakes Firm University of Pennsylvania Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

02/11/2026

When leaders in legal technology take notice, it means something.

Ian O’Flaherty, CEO of LIT Software, recently highlighted my work teaching and using courtroom technology in real-world litigation and elite training programs.

For decades, I’ve watched technology transform not just exhibits — but how the record is made, how juries engage, and how lawyers advocate.

If you’re interested in how TrialPad and courtroom presentation tools are shaping modern advocacy, this article breaks it down.

👉 Read here:
https://phillylegalnews.com/trialpad-courtroom-presentation/

The Oakes Firm Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law Temple University Beasley School of Law University of Pennsylvania Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law