Paul Bergman

UCLA Law School Professor

Paul Bergman is a Professor of Law Emeritus at the UCLA School of Law and a recipient of two University Distinguished Teaching Awards. His books include:

  • Nolo’s Deposition Handbook (with Light and Babbe, Nolo)
  • Real to Reel: Truth & Trickery in Courtroom Movies (with Asimow, Vandeplas Publishing)
  • Trial Advocacy: Inferences, Arguments, Techniques (with Moore and Binder, West Publishing Co.)
  • Trial Advocacy in a Nutshell (West Publishing Co.)
  • Represent Yourself in Court: Prepare & Try a Winning Case (with Berman, Nolo)
  • Depositions in a Nutshell (with Moore, Binder, and Light, West Publishing Co.)
  • Lawyers as Counselors: A Client-Centered Approach (with Binder, Tremblay, and Weinstein, West Publishing Co.)
  • Cracking the Case Method (with Goodman and Holm, West Academic Publishing)
  • Evidence Law and Practice (with Friedland and Benham, Carolina Academic Press), and
  • You Matter: Ten Spiritual Commitments for a Richer and More Meaningful Life (with Rabbi Mark Borovitz, AuthorHouse).

Paul has also published numerous articles in law journals. And, using clips from law-related films, he regularly gives presentations to lawyers, judges, and community groups.

Articles by Paul Bergman

Character Evidence and Witnesses in Criminal Cases
Charged with a crime and wondering if friends or family can vouch for you? This article explains what character evidence is, when you can use it, how prosecutors can hit back, and why the mercy rule can sometimes hurt more than it helps.
Relevant Evidence in Criminal Trials
Understanding how relevance determines admissibility is key to grasping trial evidence rules. Not all relevant evidence makes it before a jury.
When Does It Make Sense to Waive the Preliminary Hearing?
Waiving a preliminary hearing may sound risky, but it’s often strategic. Learn when skipping the hearing can work in your favor.
Formal Discovery: Gathering Evidence for Your Lawsuit
Learn about the most common discovery techniques, including interrogatories, requests to produce documents, requests for admissions, and depositions.
Your Right to Represent Yourself in a Criminal Case
You must be legally competent before a judge will allow you to represent yourself in a criminal trial. The bigger question, though, may be: "Should you?"
Assault, Battery, and Aggravated Assault
Learn about the possible sentences for assault, assault and battery, and aggravated assault crimes.
The Psychology of Eyewitness Identification
Cognitive psychologists have conducted thousands of experiments examining factors that might affect the accuracy of eyewitness identifications. Learn why this evidence still makes it into court.
Your Presentence Report and How to Improve It
Learn about the importance of presentence investigations and reports, why defendants need to prepare for presentence interviews, and how to improve a presentence report.
How Plea Bargains Get Made
In a typical plea bargain, the defense lawyer and prosecutor confer, and one or the other proposes a deal.
What Is Entrapment?
Entrapment happens when police officers coerce or induce someone into committing a crime. Proving entrapment can lead to an acquittal.
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