In, How to Read a Court Docket: Tips for Finding Facts and Stories Amid the Arguments, The Journalist’s Resource presents a free online training session with former journalist-turned-whistleblower-lawyer Eugenie Reich.
U.S. Court dockets are potential treasure troves of compelling information, but navigating the docket of a long-running case is not easy. In complex litigation, sparring parties spend millions of dollars gathering documents and hiring experts whose evidence they believe will prove them right. In some disputes, the most important message for the public is the outcome: who wins, who loses, even who goes to jail. But when the dispute involves science, medicine, or important questions of public policy, it is equally important that journalists can find telling evidentiary documents quickly and distinguish the facts from the arguments.
This free one-hour webinar will cover three scientific and medical case studies involving legal proceedings. The event is open to all, but registration is required.
Attendees will learn:
What to look for first on a court docket.
How to tell the facts from the arguments.
How and when to attend court hearings.
How to know when to revisit a docket for updates.
Tips for developing stories on scientific and health care fraud.
The Journalist’s Resource is a project of the Shorenstein Center aimed at bridging the gap between journalism and academia. Its primary goal is to help journalists improve their work by relying more often on scientific evidence and high-quality, peer-reviewed research.