Total Credits: 1.0 Self Study
Recording available after the original program date, 7/30/2025
The first obligation of any trial lawyer is to master both the advocacy skills and the evidentiary rules that allow a particular fact to be received as evidence at trial. Too often, for many lawyers, evidentiary rules are viewed as hurdles to overcome, mere obstacles to effective storytelling in the courtroom. In fact, the rules of evidence are “user guides” designed to provide the courtroom lawyer with a blueprint for accomplishing the fundamental task of generating submissible proof in support of a claim. This presentation will provide a framework for understanding the rules of evidence, enabling practicing lawyers to quickly analyze each piece of proffered evidence and develop the proper objection and response thereto.
Speaker: Thomas L. Stewart, Saint Louis University School of Law, St. Louis
Opinions and positions stated by presenters of MoBarCLE programs are those of the presenters and not necessarily those of The Missouri Bar. This program is intended as information for lawyers in Missouri, in conjunction with other research they deem necessary, in the exercise of their independent judgment.
Note: This material qualifies for self-study credit only. Pursuant to Regulation 15.04.5, a lawyer may receive up to six hours of self-study credit in a reporting year. Self-study programs do not qualify for GAL Certification, ethics, elimination of bias, or Kansas credit.
| Evidence & The Trial Lawyer (96 KB) | Available after Purchase | ||
| Lawyer Evidence Presentation (1.4 MB) | Available after Purchase | ||
| MOLAP Information 3-31-25 (750 KB) | Available after Purchase | ||
| Important Information for Attorneys Seeking Kansas Credit (102.8 KB) | Available after Purchase | ||
Tom Stewart is the Director of Trial Advocacy and Professor of Law at Saint Louis University School of Law. Professor Stewart teaches in the fields of trial advocacy, evidence, and torts. Before joining SLU’s law faculty, Professor Stewart was a trial lawyer representing both plaintiffs and defendants in products liability, medical negligence, and toxic tort cases. Tom is a past recipient of the Missouri Bar’s Lon O. Hocker Award for excellence in trial advocacy, and he is a past President of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA). Tom has been a guest lecturer and has taught evidence and trial advocacy for several organizations, including the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA), the Federal Public Defender Offices, and the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL). Tom is on the teaching faculty for the Missouri Judicial College, where he presents an evidence overview each year at the New Judge Orientation. Tom is a founding member of the Theodore McMillan American Inns of Court and is a co-author of the book Missouri Evidentiary Foundations (4th ed. Juris, 2012).
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