In the era of the “vanishing trial,” motions provide an excellent opportunity to gain skills in written and oral advocacy, legal argument, and the presentation of evidence. In most actions, there will be at least one interlocutory motion, and the result of a motion can have a substantial impact on the outcome of an action. Some motions, such as motions for injunctions or security for costs, can have an obvious strategic benefit. But even discovery motions can also change the direction of the litigation. Published in the fourth instalment of Canadian Lawyer's Arguably the Best series on improving litigation skills.