Winning Every Time: How to Use the Skills of a Lawyer in the Trials of Your Life

by Lis Wiehl

Whether you’re hoping to obtain a raise from your boss, convince an insurance claim representative to reimburse your medical treatment, or persuade your spouse into spending less time watching TV and more time with you, Winning Every Time will be your guide for truly practical and helpful advice about how to make that case effectively—and win it hands down. Too often we argue conclusions without the benefit of a premise, react from anger instead of presenting hard facts, feel defensive when sensing resistance, or fail to make calm, irrefutable counterarguments. In this dynamic, groundbreaking book, Lis Wiehl shows how to apply the skills, smarts, and strategies of a lawyer and stay in command whenever life makes you feel as though you are on trial.

Writing in an engaging, accessible style, Wiehl teaches you how to become your own best advocate, so you can plead your case with precision—and win the hearts (and change the minds) of even the most recalcitrant “juror.” You’ll learn the eight easy-to-follow rules of persuasion to winning a case:

Know What You Want: The Theory of the Case—outline your premise clearly and establish your objective accordingly
Choose and Cultivate Your Audience: Voir Dire— bring your case to the person who “calls the shots” and know the perfect time and place to do so
Marshal Your Evidence: Discovery—assemble all the facts that support your cause, even information that may challenge your objective
Advocate with Confidence: Making the Case—present your opening argument and offer your evidence calmly and methodically
Counter the Claims: Cross-examination—challenge your opponent’s allegations consistently, but gently, through a series of “yes or no” questions
Stay True to Your Case: Avoid the Seven Deadly Spins—keep your argument authentic by avoiding false inferences, hearsay, and subjectivity
Advocate with Heart: Let Me Tell You a Story—make your case personal with a special story that will convey your message in a memorable way
Sum It Up: The Closing Argument—deliver a fervent and succinct summation of your theory and evidence . . . and close the deal

Along with practical advice on how to state your case effectively and come out on top, this remarkable book features incisive stories from real people who have transformed their lives through advocacy. With amazing, result-oriented strategies, Winning Every Times will help you stay in command whenever life makes you feel as though you are on trial.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Lis Wiehl is a New York Times bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction books, a journalist, an attorney, and a legal expert. She is the former legal analyst for Fox News, former co-host of WOR radio's “WOR Tonight with Joe Concha and Lis Wiehl,” and was an anchor for the Law & Crime network (a multi-media live trial network). Lis Wiehl hosted the podcast Pursuit of Justice with Lis Wiehl and until recently was an adjunct professor of Law at New York Law School. Lis is the author of eighteen books, including the first in The Hunting Series, Hunting Charles Manson: The Quest for Justice in the Days of Helter Skelter, out in paperback from Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins on June 25, 2019.

Lis Wiehl is one of the nation’s most highly regarded commentators and legal experts. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Wiehl practiced law in a private law firm in Seattle where she also wrote by-lined articles on legal issues for The New York Times. From there she went on to become a third generation federal prosecutor (her grandfather and her father — an FBI agent — were also federal prosecutors) in the US Attorney's Office in Seattle. She served as the Deputy Chief Investigative Counsel for Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee during President Clinton’s impeachment. From 1995 to 2001, she was a tenured law professor at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, where she ran the Trial Advocacy Program, which won several national awards during her tenure.

During her time at the University of Washington, Wiehl also stepped deeper into journalism by working as a reporter and legal analyst for NPR's All Things Considered, MSNBC/NBC News, and locally at KIRO, the CBS network affiliate in Seattle. After MSNBC and National Public Radio, Wiehl moved to the Fox News Channel where she served as a legal analyst and reporter for over fifteen years. During her time at the Fox News Channel, she appeared on numerous shows including The O'Reilly Factor, Your World with Neil Cavuto, The Kelly File with Megyn Kelly, Lou Dobbs Tonight, and the Imus morning show. Wiehl also hosted the Legal Lis radio show and the Wiehl of Justice podcast.

In 2005, Wiehl released her first book, Winning Every Time: How to Use the Skills of a Lawyer in the Trials of Your Life. Two years later she released The 51% Minority: How Women Still Are Not Equal and What You Can Do About It which was awarded the 2008 award for Books for a Better Life in the motivational category. Since then, Wiehl has continued to write bestselling books of fiction and non-fiction.

Lis Wiehl continues to appear in the media as a legal expert and commentator for organizations including CNN, CBS, NBC, and NPR among others. She regularly lectures at colleges and universities, appears as a keynote speaker, and speaks at bookstores, conferences, and literary festivals.
Wiehl earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, her Master of Arts in Literature from the University of Queensland, and a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Lis Wiehl currently lives near New York City.

For more information please visit www.liswiehlbooks.com.

Reviews

[Kressel Housman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The advice in this book is clear, sensible, and sounds really worthwhile, but something tells me that I'm not going to be able to execute it. Basically, the author presents Eight Steps to making your case to anybody, for anything, from negotiating a raise to getting your spouse or kids to do more chores around the house. Step One, knowing your "theory of the case," helps you pare down what your objective is. Do you want to tell that jerk off or do you want to get x done? By clarifying what you really want, you keep your emotions out of the case and you'll make a much better presentation.

Well, that strikes me as undeniably true, but it seems to me the hard part comes in with cross-examination. After you've made your opening argument and the person says "no," then it's time to cross-examine, to ask leading questions based on the evidence you've gathered so that the person can see how your way is logical and therefore the right way. I just can't see myself cross-examining anybody. She says it's supposed to be done gently and not (pun intended) crossly, but I still don't see myself doing it.

I'm glad I read this book and I really hope I can apply the advice. If nothing else, it was interesting to read about the process of jury selection, which is something I expect to be part of fairly soon. (I got one of those court surveys in the mail.) And her line, "Persistence is a strong will. Obstinacy is a strong won't," is absolutely brilliant.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exceptional book! It's a practical guide on how to be more influential work, at home, and with your children. She starts off by outlining the eight essential skills of a lawyer.
1. know what you want- developing a theory for your case
2. Choose your audience
3. Obtain your evidence supporting your position
4. Presenting your case
5. Defending Your Case- cross examination
6. Staying true, avoiding the spin
7. Tell it in a story
8. Sum it up- your closing arguement

Then, she applies those skills to the areas of your life.
9. Winning at work
10. negotiations
11. A womans voice (I skipped this chapter)
12. Advocating with loved ones
13. Eight Steps to Effective Parenting (read this chapter several times!)

At the end of each chapter, she summarizes the chapter with key points that she calls a "Legal Brief".

I read self help books, business books, and law books but this is the first one that really ties all the skills together.

I highly recommend this book for anybody who wants to be more influential and more persuasive!

[Tim Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical advice for presenting your "case" or position (such as disputing a charge on your credit card) in a clear and coherent manner. The steps are progressive and logical. I listened to the audiobook and an added bonus is that the author is a magnificient narrator with conviction and enthusiasm. I plan on reading the print book as well since this type of self-help book is difficult for me to fully digest on my commute to work. However I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook and picked up much helpful advice.

[Jay French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a text for lawyers describing how to prepare for and deliver a legal case. Take the steps and apply to everyday life. This is the premise behind this book. I found the book very interesting and useful. I listened to this on audio and found that the book wasn't best consumed that way - the main points are presented in outline format which would work great on paper, but was hard to follow in audio. Nevertheless, I appreciated the stories and process described - I'm tempted to buy the book for reference...

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. I picked up this book just to see what she considered "skills of a lawyer" and I'm happy to report that I did learn these skills in law school. (Whew, money wasn't wasted.) It was a good insight on how to use these skills in all areas of life. Recommended to everyone--would be a good book group book.

[Incandragon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope, couldn't finish it. While I'd like to feel a bit more in control in confrontations, and have a better understanding of how to control an argument, this is one of those books where I feel like they had to fit up a 40 page concept into a 300 page book. Plus I felt like I was being argued with ... and since that put my back up, I lost faith in the message.

[Emily Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not super entertaining to read, but really good, practical communication advice!