Going to trial can be challenging, nerve-wracking or even the biggest adrenaline rush for new attorneys. Making sure you’re standing in the right spot, addressing the judge appropriately, and presenting evidence correctly can make even the smartest new lawyer lose their mind.
Here are some of our tried and true best practices to succeed in the courtroom.
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Practice, practice, practice! You need to sound confident and show that you believe in your case. The only way to achieve this is to practice your speech over and over again until you know it by heart. Ideally, you should rehearse your speech in front of a few different people to gauge how you come across, and whether or not your main points are coherent. Remember, you’ll be speaking to a room full of civilians so your speech should be conversational and accessible, not full of legalese and complicated terms.
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R&R You need to be as well rested and relaxed as possible during a trial. Not only is it unhealthy to be stressed out and tense, but the jury could pick up on your vibe and view you as less competent or less believable. Try meditating a few minutes at the beginning and end of each day. Even if you don’t think you can spare the time, your mental health is crucial to your case.
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Team Work Trial is a team effort, and you need to ensure you have the best people around you. That also means you need to be comfortable with delegating tasks to others and trusting that they will get them done. Micromanaging every aspect of the trial will only cause more stress for you and everyone else involved.
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Don’t Procrastinate Trial is stressful enough as it is, don’t make it worse on yourself by adding the pressure of doing everything at the last minute. Make a plan early on and do your best to stick to it. Many attorneys find it helpful to create a chronological list of steps that must be taken before trial.