The Power of Public Speaking: Effective Appellate Advocacy

This course, taught by Robert J. Jossen, a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and a well-recognized teacher in trial advocacy, and Barbara Barron, MS CCC SLP, a highly regarded voice and speech pathologist with a private practice in New York concentrating in Voice training for Professional Speakers, will explore public speaking techniques and how they can be used for effective appellate advocacy, including oral argument skills. This course is a natural follow up to the instructors' previous acclaimed course on Public Speaking in Cross-Examination.

Public speaking and presentation skills are important for practitioners in all aspects of law practice, whether litigators or non-courtroom lawyers, however, developing these skills is critical when planning for and conducting appellate advocacy, including trial court argument skills. This program will discuss warm up exercises to maximize the voice as a vital instrument in public speaking; how to use your voice to create drama, pace and emphasis in oral argument; how to control nervousness and accentuate your demeanor; how to plan for an effective oral argument, anticipating questioning and using the advocate's skills to their maximum effectiveness. The program will cover vital considerations for every occasion when the lawyer is the presenter using argument skills, whether in an appellate court or trial court.

This program is designed to benefit trial attorneys at any level of experience. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify and achieve objectives for the oral argument

2. Anticipate penetrating questions from the bench

3. Make effective appellate and trial court arguments to the bench

4. Use voice control and exercises to assure comfortable, confident physical presentations in oral argument