Professor Barbara S. Barron recently returned from Japan after teaching a trial advocacy program for the Osaka Bar Association. Professor Barron was one of four American lawyers who taught in the second annual Osaka program designed to teach criminal defense attorneys American trial advocacy. She taught in the first Osaka program as well. This was her fourth such trip to Japan. Forty lawyers took the program; an additional 100 observed each teaching session.

During the program, Professor Barron gave two presentations, "Persuading the Jury: Using Storytelling in Opening Statements" and "Convincing the Jury: The Art of Persuasion in Closing Statements".

In developing and giving her presentation, Professor Barron enjoyed integrating a historical event that has become one of the most renowned Kabuki plays in order to illustrate the American advocacy concepts of storytelling and persuasion.