You Made Your Case – The Art of Persuading Judges
Have your opener down pat.
Anyone who has done public speaking knows that the hardest part is the opener. Your adrenaline is pumping. You’re trying to keep nervousness out of your voice and manner, to establish eye contact with your audience, and to project a steady, even tone. This is no time to worry about what you’re going to say. For this part of your presentation, commit your words to memory (though try not to deliver them as though by rate). Even for the opener, however, don’t read from a prepared text.
Your opening should usually consist of or at least contain, a brief outline of the subjects you intend to address:
“I hope to discuss this morning first why this court has jurisdiction, then why the trial court’s finding of negligence was unsupported, and finally why the damages awarded are plainly excessive.”
You should be under no illusion that you will actually get to reach all these subjects-that ultimately depends on the court (which is why you should put your strongest point first). But setting forth at the outset the full range of what you hope to address may induce the judges to make their questions more concise.
