Eve Was Right to Eat the "Apple": The Importance of Narrative in the Art of Lawyering

Every litigator uses narratives in his or her work. Yet many may not recognize the extent of their use of narrative or the creative ways in which they can deploy narratives. Without an examination of how people tell and understand stories, lawyers may be missing opportunities to convince others of their clients' positions. One way to demonstrate how stories change depending on the facts a lawyer emphasizes and a lawyer's theory of the case would be to take a story known to all and to "retell" it as a criminal defense lawyer might.