I grew up in Birmingham, MI. I am the youngest of eight children and attended an all-boys catholic school my whole life until I went to college at the University of Michigan. I went to night school at Detroit College of Law. My dad, my uncle, two of my brothers, and sister were lawyers. My first job was cutting lawns at age 10. I started working for my brother as a house painter at age 12. When I was 16 I started my own painting business and continued throughout high school, college, and law school, and a few years after until I was 32. I practiced criminal defense for eighteen years in Michigan until ten years ago when my roommate from the Trial Lawyers College, Nick Rowley, encouraged me to move to LA to become a PI lawyer. The California Bar took me four tries. I moved to Las Vegas this past March. I have recently taken up pickle ball, skiing and golf. I also think I'm competitive at connect four, backgammon, chess, and ping pong.
1-Day Cross Examination of the DME Workshop - Free to Attend
aug 20 - 20, 2026 / 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
aug 20 - 20, 2026
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
About the bootcamp
A great cross of the Defense Medical Expert isn't about arguing with the witness. It's about controlling the conversation, building credibility with the jury, and using the defense's own expert to reinforce your case. Join Dan Ambrose for this free, hands-on workshop as he teaches the principles, structure, and execution of an effective DME cross examination. Registration also includes an exclusive live Zoom prep session the week before, so you'll arrive ready to maximize the in-person training.
What You'll Learn
Cross-examination is a sequence of controlled moments. This training focuses on the micro-skills that make each moment land.
Question Delivery as a Transfer of Control
Learn how to deliver questions as if you are handing something to the witness—structured, contained, and requiring a response. Your delivery becomes an exchange, not a chase.
Physical Discipline & Hand Positioning
Your hands are not decoration. They carry meaning. You’ll train how to use controlled, consistent positioning so your gestures reinforce structure instead of distracting from it.
Pacing & Pause Control
Understand where to pause—and why. Strategic pauses create anticipation, refocus attention, and signal importance before the answer is ever given.
Refocusing the Room
Use language and delivery to reset attention at key moments. Simple transitions like “let me ask you this” become tools to bring the jury back in and prepare them for what matters.
Sequencing & Build
Structure questions so they build cleanly from one idea to the next. Each step tightens the frame, making the final point feel inevitable.
Inquisitiveness vs. Assertion
Cross is not always forceful. You’ll learn how to use curiosity in your tone and expression to draw answers out, making the witness commit without resistance.
Movement with Purpose
Every movement has a function. You’ll eliminate unnecessary motion and learn when movement should amplify meaning rather than compete with it.
Your Instructors
