Duke lacrosse lawyers on how they won

Four of the lawyers who cleared former Duke University lacrosse players of bogus rape charges will speak about the case at a seminar sponsored by the state Academy of Trial Lawyers.

The session is set for Nov. 30 and is aimed at lawyers, according to a news release from the organization.

The lawyers on the panel each bolstered their already-formidable reputations in their defense of the lacrosse players. The speakers will be Joseph B. Cheshire V, Brad Bannon, Wade Smith and Jim Cooney.

More after the jump

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"We are thrilled to have these four stellar legal minds share their secrets in attacking what turned out to be a woefully bad case," said Academy Chief Executive Officer Dick Taylor in the release. "Their exemplary work in the Duke lacrosse case provides a shining example of what the academy is all about — protecting people’s rights. We’re delighted that they were willing to share with other attorneys the lessons learned from that experience."

Cheshire, who became the unofficial spokesman for the defense, will speak about media and publicity.

Bannon, who deciphered 1,800 pages of techincal reports to discover that important evidence had been withheld from the players, will speak on dealing with complex and disputed scientific evidence.

Smith will talk about his work with the Attorney General's office, which ultimately declared the players innocent.

Cooney, himself a former Duke lacrosse player, will discuss motions, practice and strategy in attacking the state’s case.

The case led to the downfall of former Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong, who was found in contempt of court and stripped of his law license for his conduct and misstatements during the case.