Stop the pillage and plunder approach and learn to use behavioral tactics to secure the concessions you need.
This dynamic CLE presentation challenges trial lawyers to rethink everything they were taught about cross-examination. Rather than treating cross as an exercise in aggression and domination, Michael DeBlis III reframes it as a sophisticated behavioral exercise rooted in the same tactical instincts human beings use every day in pursuit of what they want.
Drawing on a three-part framework — Objective, Obstacle, and Tactic — attendees will learn to identify precisely what they need from a witness, understand why resistance occurs, and deploy a fluid range of tactics to overcome it. Through vivid real-world analogies, from teenagers negotiating curfews to spouses planning vacations, DeBlis demonstrates that tactical flexibility is not a courtroom luxury — it is the defining skill that separates good cross-examiners from great ones.
The presentation also includes ten hands-on training exercises designed to build adaptability under pressure, sharpen objective clarity, develop emotional regulation, and expand every attorney's tactical range far beyond the default of force.
Attendees will leave with:
· A clear framework for preparing and executing every cross-examination
· Practical tools for pivoting tactics in real time when witnesses resist
· A deeper understanding of how human behavior shapes courtroom dynamics
· Ten ready-to-use drills for ongoing skills development
This program is ideal for criminal defense attorneys, civil litigators, and any trial lawyer who wants to walk into the courtroom with greater confidence, control, and persuasive power.
Trial, entertainment law and U.S. international tax law
Michael is a partner in the boutique law firm of DeBlis Law where he specializes in tax compliance and entertainment law. Michael graduated from Western Michigan University School of Law in 2007 and later went on to earn his Masters of Law in taxation (LL.M.) from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2012. As a former public defender, Michael has spent nearly eight years cutting his teeth on some of the most serious felony cases to pass through the state courts of New Jersey. Michael’s unique background in tax law puts him into an elite category of criminal defense attorneys who specialize in criminal tax defense. His extensive trial experience and solid grounding in all major areas of federal taxation make him uniquely qualified to handle any white-collar case, no matter how sophisticated it might be. Michael is known for his creativity, his charismatic personality, and his unyielding dedication to his clients. As a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College, Michael has trained under some of the best known criminal defense attorneys in the country. That experience has taught him that justice for a person accused of a crime is only won through a full understanding of the client and the case. To that end, Michael attempts to understand each client’s case as a convincing narrative, not just as a set of innocuous facts and arcane legal rules. When he's not in the courtroom, you can find Michael on stage. As a professionally trained actor, Michael's passionate about helping trial lawyers harness the power of persuasion and positive communication in the courtroom in order to connect to the jury on a human level. Michael's training as an actor allows him to combine a unique blend of left-brain thinking with right brain artistry to make even the most dull and abstract areas of the law come to life. This burst of creativity has contributed to Michael's success as a distinguished author and sought-out speaker. Michael has written articles that have been published in leading tax journals, such as "CCH Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure," "EA Journal," "Global Tax Weekly," and "ABA News Quarterly" and is a columnist for "Law360." He has been featured on the media affiliates of several major media networks, including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and CNN. Michael is a living example of the tremendous power that comes from combining passion, preparation, persuasion, and positive communication in the courtroom. His courage and relentless work ethic have earned him a reputation as a zealous advocate and one of New Jersey's rising stars of the legal profession.
