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.
Building the Cross that Breaks Their Case
aug 14 - 15, 2026 /
aug 14 - 15, 2026
About the bootcamp
Cross-examination is not just about questions. It’s about control. This 2-day program is designed to train how you physically and strategically control a witness in front of a jury. Every movement, every pause, every word is intentional. Nothing is accidental. You’ll learn how to deliver questions in a way that feels structured, contained, and difficult to resist—where the witness doesn’t just answer, but follows your lead. This is where cross becomes less about confrontation and more about disciplined execution.
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.
How You'll Train
This is a repetition-based training environment built around real-time correction.
We begin with structured cross segments so you can isolate specific skills without distraction. You’ll perform short sequences, receive immediate feedback, and repeat until the adjustments become natural.
Step 1 — Controlled Repetition Drills
Work through focused cross segments designed to train delivery, pacing, and physical control. Each rep is refined immediately.
Step 2 — Layering Complexity
Add sequencing, transitions, and control techniques. You’ll begin connecting individual skills into a cohesive cross.
Step 3 — Performance Integration
Run full cross segments with all elements working together—movement, voice, timing, and structure—until your delivery feels consistent and controlled.
You’ll be recorded, coached, and corrected in real time. The goal is not just improvement—it’s repeatability.
Your Instructors
Dan Ambrose
Trial Lawyers UniversityGiorgio Panagos
Ulysses LawI was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area to an Armenian mother and Greek father. I attended Berkeley High School, University of California, Riverside and Golden Gate University, School of Law. While in law school, I worked at my father’s chocolate shop in Palo Alto giving tasting tours and teaching customers about the history and production of the world’s finest cacao. After passing the CA bar in 2019, I moved to Los Angeles to practice personal injury law. Shortly after founding my own firm in 2021, I cofounded Lawzilla.co, a case referral marketplace where attorneys can find cases to grow their practices and refer cases they would otherwise drop. In addition to running my startup, I work closely with Trial Lawyers University, coaching attorneys on trial presentation skills. I speak fluent Greek and enjoy traveling, reading, spending time with family and playing piano.
