Abstract
This rhetorical pilot study investigates the possibility of using the Proppian narrative model in order to better aid attorneys in the creation of opening and closing statements. By examining The People of the State of California vs. Frankie Joe Prater and Robert Memory, the author is hoping to ascertain whether or not the steps of this structural model can be seen working currently in the trial system. This is done in an effort to improve attorney communication which is the single biggest complaint against attorneys, and to push the field of communication studies into demonstrating its practical applications.