Trial Skills and Strategies
November 17, 2006 - Missoula, Montana

Dealing with Juror Prejudice in Voir Dire
Bill Rossbach, Missoula

I Hope My Opening Is Halfway Good
Elizabeth A. Best, Great Falls

Presenting Pain and Suffering Damages
David R. Paoli, Missoula

Examining the Medical Witness
Douglas A. Buxbaum, Missoula

Analyze That: Use of Jury Focus Groups
Joe Bottomly, Kalispell

Closing Arguments
Lawrence B. Cozzens, Billings

Speakers

Elizabeth A. Best practices in Great Falls with her husband, Mike, in Best Law Offices. She represents only people who have been harmed as the result of negligence, intentional conduct, unfair employment practices, civil rights violations, unfair insurance claims practices, or defective products. She tries some of these cases in Human Rights Bureau, State Court, and Federal Court. Elizabeth graduated from the UM School of Law in 1981. She served in the U.S. Army JAGC, providing legal assistance to soldiers, prosecuting, teaching the law of war under the Geneva Convention and acting as liaison with German prosecutors. Upon return to Montana, she clerked for U.S. District Judge Paul Hatfield and then entered private practice. She has served on the MTLA Board of Directors since 1995 and as President in 2001-2002. She currently is serving as the Chair of the Montana Board of Labor Appeals.

Joe Bottomly was born and raised in Great Falls. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology and political science from the University of Oregon and his law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, OR. Joe has practiced in Montana since 1980. He has tried many civil jury cases including product liability, professional malpractice, business torts, auto accident as well as other personal injury matters. He is a sustaining member of MTLA, a past president, a recipient of the 2000 Trial Lawyer of the Year award, a member of American Board of Trial Advocates and an ATLA State Delegate.

Douglas A. Buxbaum graduated in 1980 from the University of Montana School of Law. In 1992, he established what has evolved into the plaintiff's firm of Buxbaum, Daue, & Fitzpatrick. Prior to that, Doug was a partner at the Law Firm of Poore, Roth and Robinson. Mr. Buxbaum specializes in medical malpractice, product liability and serious personal injury cases; he has developed a subspecialty in catastrophic birth injury and neonatal issues. Buxbaum has been involved in some of Montana’s largest medical negligence and wrongful death cases. He also has extensive experience with Federal tort claims practice arising out of substandard health care to recipients of public health care. Doug is a frequent speaker and lecturer in continuing legal education. Buxbaum is listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America and is a member of the America and Montana bar associations and Montana Trial Lawyers Association. He served on MTLA's Board of Directors from 1997-2003.

Lawrence B. Cozzens earned his law degree, with honors, in 1975 from the University of Wyoming. He is a partner in the Cozzens, Harman, Warren & Harris firm in Billings and concentrates his practice in personal injury, insurance law, bad faith law and commercial litigation. Mr. Cozzens is licensed to practice in Wyoming and Montana and is certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Larry received MTLA’s 2006 Trial Lawyer of the Year award. He is a member of the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association and a sustaining member of MTLA. Mr. Cozzens has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in commercial litigation since 2003.

David R. Paoli, a native of Great Falls, Montana, played noseguard for the Grizzlies while putting himself through college on a football scholarship. He earned a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Political Science with an emphasis in Business Administration. During law school, David was a member of the Board of Regents of the Montana University System. After graduating with honors in 1986 from the UM School of Law, he clerked for Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, United States District Court, District of Montana. After practicing in Billings for three years, David began his own plaintiffs’ civil litigation practice in 1992. He has represented individuals and small businesses from across the state of Montana in cases involving personal injuries, insurance bad faith, FELA, products liability (automobile manufacturer, medical devices, prescription drugs, etc.), medical negligence and bank bad faith. David was elected to the MTLA Board of Directors in 1990 and served as President in 1999-2000. He is a sustaining member of MTLA and ATLA.

Bill Rossbach, principal, Rossbach Hart Bechtold, PC, Missoula, specializes in science-based litigation, including products liability, medical negligence, environmental and toxic torts, and industrial negligence. Mr. Rossbach earned his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Yale in 1971 and his law degree, with high honors, from the University of Montana School of Law in 1977. He received MTLA’s Trial Lawyer of the Year award in 1995 and its Public Service award in 1991. Bill co-won the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice’s Trial Lawyer of the Year award in 1993 and 1995 and its Public Justice Achievement award in 1991. He has served on the MTLA Board of Directors since 1983 and was President in 1987-88. He has represented Montana on ATLA’s Board of Governors since 1988 and has been on the national board of directors of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice since 1988 as well.