A Wolf in The Courtroom

December 2, 2016 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

“Man is not man, but a wolf to those he does not know.” – Plautus

As a trial lawyer one of your most important goals is to “persuade juries,” (Berg, 2006). In order to do so this requires a certain level of confidence and bravado that some attorneys are natural born with and others are not.

Effective trial lawyers must possess a commanding presence, be versed in the art of persuasion, retain a large amount of relevant information, and most importantly remain in control under pressure (Bennett, 2014).  Even if these skills aren’t in your repertoire, you can work to obtain these vital skills through targeted practice.

Practice your opening statement prior to going to trial so that once you enter the courtroom your delivery and performance is automatic. Once your performance becomes automatic you will be able to calm your nerves and focus on just performing. Revert back to the art of studying that you had in law school. Observe lawyers that you admire and make a list of the reasons why. Then take that list and work on incorporating those skills into your execution. Be as detailed as possible, don’t just say “this person is good at communicating to the jury,” postulate why that is. Once you’ve established a working understanding of what makes your mentors and/or role models successful practice those skills often. As was previously mentioned, practice leads to automaticity and automaticity helps when it comes time to perform. Remember, your performance in the courtroom begins way before the jury enters the room. A good habit to get into is including your practice in your pre-performance routine. A good pre-performance routine can help you obtain

Once you’ve established a working understanding of what makes your mentors and/or role models successful practice those skills often. As was previously mentioned, practice leads to automaticity and automaticity helps when it comes time to perform. Remember, your performance in the courtroom begins way before the jury enters the room. A good habit to get into is including your practice in your pre-performance routine. A good pre-performance routine can help you obtain

Be as detailed as possible, don’t just say “this person is good at communicating to the jury,” postulate why that is. Once you’ve established a working understanding of what makes your mentors and/or role models successful practice those skills often. As was previously mentioned, practice leads to automaticity and automaticity helps when it comes time to perform. Remember, your performance in the courtroom begins way before the jury enters the room. A good habit to get into is including your practice in your pre-performance routine. A good pre-performance routine can help you obtain

Then take that list and work on incorporating those skills into your execution. Be as detailed as possible, don’t just say “this person is good at communicating to the jury,” postulate why that is. Once you’ve established a working understanding of what makes your mentors and/or role models successful practice those skills often.

Observe lawyers that you admire and make a list of the reasons why. Then take that list and work on incorporating those skills into your execution. Be as detailed as possible, don’t just say “this person is good at communicating to the jury,” postulate why that is. Once you’ve established a working understanding of what makes your mentors and/or role models successful practice those skills often. As was previously mentioned, practice leads to automaticity and automaticity helps when it comes time to perform. Remember, your performance in the courtroom begins way before the jury enters the room. A good habit to get into is including your practice in your pre-performance routine. A good pre-performance routine can help you obtain

As a trial lawyer, you must approach your performance in the same way. You must know when it is important to be aggressive and when it’s best to exude quiet confidence. As you have spent months and sometimes years preparing for this moment, it is essential that you approach this with the finesse and skill that your client deserves. Put aside your ego, and remember what is driving you in this trial. Use that as your motivation to perform well and most importantly as motivation when you feel drained. Being a trial lawyer is draining both physically, mentally, and emotionally. You will know that you have given it your all when you experience this complete fatigue. Each day you may feel consumed by the trial and its effects on your life. In those moments, close your eyes and take a deep breath. 

Put aside your ego, and remember what is driving you in this trial. Use that as your motivation to perform well and most importantly as motivation when you feel drained. Being a trial lawyer is draining both physically, mentally, and emotionally. You will know that you have given it your all when you experience this complete fatigue. Each day you may feel consumed by the trial and its effects on your life. In those moments, close your eyes and take a deep breath. 

In those moments, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Acknowledge that the trial process is difficult but also remind yourself your motivation for being present. With each breath, release the tension and your feelings associated with the day. Once you’ve done so it is time to refocus. Take what is relevant to yourself and the case and most importantly, leave the rest behind. While you are a wolf in the courtroom, there is no room for one in your everyday life.

Each day you may feel consumed by the trial and its effects on your life. In those moments, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Acknowledge that the trial process is difficult but also remind yourself your motivation for being present. With each breath, release the tension and your feelings associated with the day.

Once you’ve done so it is time to refocus. Take what is relevant to yourself and the case and most importantly, leave the rest behind. While you are a wolf in the courtroom, there is no room for one in your everyday life.

Author: Ashley Fryer, PhD Student in Sport Psychology at Florida State University
amf13d@my.fsu.edu

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