Preparing for your moot court argument? A recent column in the ABA Journal entitled More Than Just Words: This IWhat It Really Means to Talk Like a Lawyer might prove useful.
The column offers tips for how to be an effective oral advocate in any legal situation, whether it involves making an appellate argument, talking to a client, or making a motion at trial. Tips include the following:
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Accept responsibility - You are the one responsible for effective communication. It is your job to make yourself understood - not your audience’s job to try to understand you.
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Create a perception of credibility - Make sure that what you say is true, and talk only about what you know. Show your audience that you are prepared; showing that you are not winging it validates what you are saying.
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Have something to say - You need a point of view, a story with an object, a theme. You need to have something to say.
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Show, don’t tell - If a point is worth making, it is worth illustrating. Good examples have the power to persuade because they make the audience think your point through for themselves.
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Keep it simple - Your function is not to cover everything but to make a focused presentation.
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Make a memory - Your goal is not to impress your audience with what a fine speaker you are, but rather to persuade. The memories you create should be vivid word pictures that will argue your case for you.
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Stop - When you are done, stop. It’s much better to leave your audience thinking they want more than knowing they have heard too much.
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