According to comedian Jerry Seinfeld most people would rather be the guy in the coffin than have to stand up and give the eulogy. While this may not entirely be true, it succinctly sums up how most people feel about speaking in front of people. In a recent Gallup poll only snakes came out above public speaking on a list of Americans “fears” and public speaking ended up ahead of spiders & insects and being locked in a small space. And even if you will never set foot in a courtroom, you must be an effective speaker and communicator in order to communicate ideas in meetings, train new lawyers, impress the partners and advocate effectively for your client. However, many attorneys become very uncomfortable and tongue-tied when they find themselves standing in front of a group of people – whether in court or in public.
If you would like to learn about becoming a more effective oral advocate, please join attorney Chris Arledge for a highly entertaining and informative CLE course on courtroom speaking and beyond. The main topics discussed Mr. Arledge include maintaining the proper mindset, being yourself, body movement and voice. Additional areas covered include the difficulties of speaking in front of people, short attention spans, formulating a strategy, reaching your goal, losing your audience, drawing your audience back in, the use of eye contact, making eye contact with your audience, pacing in the courtroom, your hands, transitioning between topics, gestures, learning to love the silence, filling your speech with nonsense sounds, losing credibility, using pauses in your speech, talking too fast, marinating the great point, breaking up the monotony and varying the volume of your speech.
Christopher W. Arledge is a co-founder and managing partner of One LLP. His primary focus at One LLP is intellectual property litigation, particularly disputes over copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. In recent years, he has handled disputes involving the intellectual property of celebrities like Madonna, Don Henley, Kobe Bryant, Bette Davis, and Perez Hilton. Lawyers are called, above all, to persuade, and Chris therefore studies and teaches the principles of persuasion. He has taught the Art of Persuasion at Chapman Law School and has lectured on persuasion to some of the largest, most prestigious professional firms in the country, including Munger Tolles, O’Melveny, Jones Day, and Deloitte. Chris has polished his advocacy skills outside the courtroom as well, participating in speaking engagements and debates sponsored by groups such as the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the University of Southern California, Chapman Law School, Whittier Law School, the Anti-Defamation League, California Lawyers for the Arts, and various Inns of Court and local bar associations, and by serving as a legal expert on a number of nationally syndicated radio programs.