Lawyers have an incorrect assumption that many may take for granted: practice and rehearsing are only for milksop fraidy cats with lily-livered brains. Their justification? “I perform much better when I don’t plan ahead.”
The best person to judge your own performance is not you
You can hardly expect the audience to accurately judge you, even if they found your presentation compelling or your case convincing. Don’t believe the popular misconception that when you walk up to the dais to start a presentation, your inner Atticus Finch or Socrates will show through. I constantly hear it, or variants on it:
“I want to be spontaneous, not stale or scripted.”
Your standards are too low if you do better when you are not prepared
It is a well-known fact that a large number of attorneys do not practice for trials or speeches in public. About it, I have two theories.
First, there are those who genuinely think they are already so good that they are incapable of becoming any better. “Work on it? What is that? Practice is only for the weak. These people probably have a deep-seated concern that they may not be as good as they think they are. I encourage these lawyers to think about the fact that even the greatest among us can still do better.
My second argument is that many diligent attorneys are reluctant or uncomfortable practicing because they don’t know how to do it. It is indeed demanding. It may leave you feeling let down, discouraged, and perplexed. Why lengthen a lawyer’s already lengthy workweek with more of that? things’s simpler to brush things off, even unintentionally, than to face it head-on.
Practice is for Professionals
To get beyond the hesitation, start by thinking about how many of your favorite celebrities practice, train, or rehearse. I think about musicians and athletes. In addition to practicing, students are supervised by coaches and experienced teachers who provide minor modifications, boost their confidence, and push them farther. They put in a lot of practice every day. Although you most likely won’t have hours to dedicate to it, you can set aside some time that will truly help.
To get started, try these three steps:
- Shut off the office door. Ten minutes is the timer to set.
- Get to your feet, remain motionless, and begin speaking aloud. After ten minutes, or until the timer turns off, discuss your topic.
- Consider how that went. To help you recall what you enjoyed, make a list of trigger words. Due to your experience filtering out and hearing the weaker ideas, the things you didn’t like is still valuable.
Practice, Practice, Practice
For as long as you can—an hour, if you’re lucky—repeat this process. Afterwards, do it again as often as you can to extend your practice over time. The secret is to repeat. (As you get closer to polishing your message, record yourself on audio or video and make more adjustments.)
It’s a good thing to be prepared—super-prepared, even over-prepared. Proficient individuals in various domains, such as athletics, music, and space exploration, employ checklists and rituals to ensure optimal performance under high-stress situations. Ritualize your delivery if you want to become the most articulate lawyer you can be.