As I write this post, I am headed to Beaver Creek to speak at a seminar for the Consumer Attorneys of California. Speaking in any public forum is something that all trial lawyers should do as much as possible. Over the years I have spoken at the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys annual conventions, the American Association of Justice‘s annual and winter conventions and Torts Made Perfect in Las Vegas among others.
Public speaking has helped me hone numerous skills that provide a benefit every time I step in front of a jury. Learning to be yourself in the courtroom is one of the most important lessons any trial lawyer can learn. You will always be more persuasive being yourself. Jurors can spot a fake, so do not let it be you. The comfort and confidence that comes with experience speaking in front of others is an integral part of being yourself in front of the jury. In my practice involving complex products cases, railroad accidents and trucking accidents, it is not unusual to have only one or two cases go to trial a year. Personally, I feel that I need to be speaking to groups of people persuasively far more often than that if I want to continue to improve.
Public speaking also provides great training for voice and movement. Movement in the courtroom can be limited by the particular judge, but in those cases where it is not, I very rarely stay in the same place when addressing the jury and I never stay behind the podium. Moving around when addressing a group is important and speaking at legal seminars is a safe place to practice getting comfortable with movement. The same is true of voice. Look for more postings in the future on these and other skills that will be greatly improved by public speaking and the benefit to your business in terms of case generation that come along with it.
Finally, do not think because you are not “asked” to be a speaker, that you cannot be invited to speak at legal seminars. How can you do it? JUST ASK. Many of the groups putting on CLE courses are happy to have new speakers and, more often than not, will be looking for someone when you ask. You will have to start small, but who cares? The benefit is the same and if you continue and improve, you will be asked to speaker at larger conferences. I have been speaking at CLE seminars for years and this is the first year that I was asked to speak on the main advocacy track at AAJ’s winter convention this month in Phoenix. So it takes time to work your way up, but the benefits to you in the courtroom and for your business are certainly worth it.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements:
Consumer Attorneys of California: Cutting Edge Depositions of a Corporate Representative, Beaver Creek, CO February 9, 2012
American Association of Justice Annual Convention: Technology With Depositions, The Biltmore Hotel, Phoenix, AZ, February 10-15, 2012
AAJ’s The Jury Bias Model 2™: The Start of the Revolution—Applying the Principles from Discovery to Closing, Aria Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, March 30-31, 2012
Torts Made Perfect: The Power of Technologically Advanced Presentation Software, The Wynn Hotel inLas Vegas, NV, April 19-20, 2012
American Association of Justice Annual Convention, Chicago, Illinois, July 28 – August 1, 2012