So you want to be a better attorney.....act like it
Most juries and clients are made up of individuals who do not speak our unique foreign tongue of legalese. They are conditioned to the tv personalities of Boston Legal, Law and Order and silver screen legends like Gregory Peck, Al Pacino, and Glenn Close. So what do you do if your presentation style can be likened more to Paulie Shore in the academy award winning "Jury Duty"? How are we to make them understand the utter brilliance of our arguments if they have no clue or interest in what we are trying to say? As Clarence Darrow once surmised "unless a speaker can interest his audience at once, his effort will quickly be a failure. In other words, a dazzling argument can quickly become ineffective if not presented properly. Of course, I am not suggesting that one should substitute substance for style. But I will suggest that presentation skills can be an integeral part in your law practice. Such skills can help distinguish you from the fray. Whether its dealing with a judge, client or a senior partner, a successful lawyer should know how to present him or herself with clarity, confidence and grace. So what if those terms would never be included in a sentence describing you. Help is on the way.
A few years ago, I read an interesting story about a New York acting coach who was being hired by law firms to help their associates develop better presentation skills. A former writer for the
I Love Lucy Show, Ron Mombello was being sought out by NY firms to help turn good associates into great attorneys. Ron turned his experiences into a take home course and book entitled "How to Be a Better Attorney" The book includes some wonderful illustrations from Zachary Pullen.
As an attorney, I was immediately skeptical. Would this course have me banging on a table demanding the truth as Tom Cruise did in a "Few Good Men." Would I be suggesting that the whole court was out of order as Al Pacino did in "And Justice For All?" Would this New Yorker turn me into Joe Pesci as I spoke of my clients as "the two yootz". Not quite. Mombello is quick to acknowledge that Hollywood often presents a distorted image of the lawyer. That is not what the course is all about.
By taking the course, Mombello believes students will learn how to focus their voice, engage others, avoide cluttering testimony with confusing language, develop improvisational skills, and communicate confidence with appropriate body language. More importantly, the course is designed to work around any busy schedule and could be done at home.
In my opinion, a little self improvement never hurt anyone. And with this course, you can even get CLE Credits. http://www.thebetterattorney.com/
Thursday, March 19, 2009
How to Be a Better Lawyer
So you want to be a better attorney.....act like it
Most juries and clients are made up of individuals who do not speak our unique foreign tongue of legalese. They are conditioned to the tv personalities of Boston Legal, Law and Order and silver screen legends like Gregory Peck, Al Pacino, and Glenn Close. So what do you do if your presentation style can be likened more to Paulie Shore in the academy award winning "Jury Duty"? How are we to make them understand the utter brilliance of our arguments if they have no clue or interest in what we are trying to say? As Clarence Darrow once surmised "unless a speaker can interest his audience at once, his effort will quickly be a failure. In other words, a dazzling argument can quickly become ineffective if not presented properly. Of course, I am not suggesting that one should substitute substance for style. But I will suggest that presentation skills can be an integeral part in your law practice. Such skills can help distinguish you from the fray. Whether its dealing with a judge, client or a senior partner, a successful lawyer should know how to present him or herself with clarity, confidence and grace. So what if those terms would never be included in a sentence describing you. Help is on the way.
A few years ago, I read an interesting story about a New York acting coach who was being hired by law firms to help their associates develop better presentation skills. A former writer for the
I Love Lucy Show, Ron Mombello was being sought out by NY firms to help turn good associates into great attorneys. Ron turned his experiences into a take home course and book entitled "How to Be a Better Attorney" The book includes some wonderful illustrations from Zachary Pullen.
As an attorney, I was immediately skeptical. Would this course have me banging on a table demanding the truth as Tom Cruise did in a "Few Good Men." Would I be suggesting that the whole court was out of order as Al Pacino did in "And Justice For All?" Would this New Yorker turn me into Joe Pesci as I spoke of my clients as "the two yootz". Not quite. Mombello is quick to acknowledge that Hollywood often presents a distorted image of the lawyer. That is not what the course is all about.
By taking the course, Mombello believes students will learn how to focus their voice, engage others, avoide cluttering testimony with confusing language, develop improvisational skills, and communicate confidence with appropriate body language. More importantly, the course is designed to work around any busy schedule and could be done at home.
In my opinion, a little self improvement never hurt anyone. And with this course, you can even get CLE Credits. http://www.thebetterattorney.com/
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1 comment:
Nice article buddy........
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