Lawyers need to be good speakers because they talk a lot for their job. They speak in many different places, not just in court. It’s important for them to sound convincing and engaging when they speak because a lot of their work involves persuading people. This article talks about how lawyers can use different techniques to persuade people when they speak, like being credible, using logic, and appealing to emotions. How a lawyer speaks is really important because it can affect how people see their character. The way they speak and the sound of their voice can have a big impact on how their message is understood. A lawyer should speak in a way that keeps people interested and matches the message they are trying to get across. They should tell a good, believable, and moving story that has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Lawyers need to be good at speaking and using their body language to convince people. This is important because only a very small number of cases actually go to trial with a jury. So lawyers have to be able to talk in a way that regular people can understand, but also be able to speak to other professionals. Many lawyers aren’t very good at public speaking, and not a lot of law schools teach it. But it’s really important for lawyers to be able to speak well, because it can make a big difference in whether they win or lose a case. Watts was held by the police without being allowed to sleep or eat properly for nearly a week. They questioned him for long hours each night and even made him take lie detector tests. He finally confessed after seven hours of questioning in the middle of the night, after six days of being treated this way. He didn’t have a lawyer to help him. This was considered a violation of his rights by the Supreme Court. The two most important opinions in the case are the ones written by Justice Frankfurter and Justice Douglas. Frankfurter’s opinion is formal and wordy, while Douglas’s opinion is powerful and concise. Douglas’s words capture the truth of what happened to Watts and would be effective in various settings. In the case itself, his concluding sentence could have been used in different legal proceedings. It’s possible that Douglas borrowed that sentence from one of the lawyers in the case. The sentence “The man was held until he broke” is powerful and effective because it uses simple, strong words and has a rhythmic flow. It can be spoken with pauses to make it more dramatic. It’s a good example of how language can be used to create an impact. When lawyers speak in court, they need to consider how fast they talk, their tone of voice, and how loud they are. Speaking faster is usually seen as more convincing, and deeper voices are also considered more persuasive. So, when making an argument in court, it’s important for lawyers to speak in a lower pitch and at a faster pace to make a stronger impression on the jury. It’s not good to shout when speaking because it can make people think you’re angry. But changing the volume a little can help keep people’s attention. You can also emphasize a word by speaking softer or louder. It’s like how music can get quieter or louder. Inflection is the change in pitch in the voice. It can make your speech more expressive and powerful. Falling inflection can signal the end of an idea, while rising inflection can make people want to hear more. Sustained inflection creates suspense and makes listeners wait for the end of a story. These inflections are natural and can be used to make persuasive statements. Different combinations of inflections and loudness can create different impacts on the listeners. It’s important to choose the right inflection for your audience and the occasion. The lawyer for Watts should stand with good posture, shoulders down and relaxed, chest open, and head held high. Good posture helps with speaking and projecting your voice. Facial expressions should match the content of the words, and gestures should be used subtly and sparingly. The main focus should be on the speaker’s face. In order to be a good persuasive speaker, it’s important to pay attention to things like pronunciation, word articulation, and the way you say your words. These techniques have been used for a long time and have been proven to be effective. It’s also important to adapt these techniques to fit the situation and the audience. Unfortunately, law schools don’t really teach these skills, so it’s up to law students and young lawyers to improve on their own. One way to get better at speaking is to listen to other speakers and pay attention to what sounds good and persuasive to you. This will help you become a better speaker in the future. To give a good presentation, carefully choose your words and practice speaking them aloud. Avoid using too many filler words like “um” and “uh” and eliminate unnecessary words. Rehearse your presentation and consider recording yourself to improve your delivery. When presenting, don’t read from a script, use an outline, and maintain eye contact with your audience. This will help you speak fluently and persuasively. This is a list of resources about how lawyers can improve their public speaking and persuasion skills in the courtroom. It includes articles and books on the science and art of persuasion, as well as tips on using body language and vocal delivery effectively. These resources can help lawyers become more effective advocates for their clients in court. Steven Wisotsky, a law professor at NSU since 1980, has written a book on public speaking for lawyers. The article is based on his book and acknowledges the research assistance of two NSU students. This column is submitted on behalf of the Appellate Practice Section.
Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/sounds-and-images-of-persuasion-a-primer/
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