The Little Book on Oral Argument

This book, specifically designed for law students and lawyers who want to improve their oral argument skills, starts from scratch by presenting chapters on nervousness, preparation, and delivery, which help to make up a quick course in public speaking.

More profoundly, it delves into the core theme of oral argument how one interacts with one s audience. Judges often decide what a lawyer will talk about as much as the lawyer does; they can interrupt with questions, cut a person off, force a lawyer to move on, or take up time telling the lawyer his or her case.

The chapters on style, substance, structure, questions, and rebuttal explain the approach lawyers need to take in order be effective in this peculiar form of conversation.

Each oral argument is different, requiring one to make moment-to-moment adjustments to fit the situation and the judges. To make those adjustments intelligently, there is a need for more than mechanical rules. There is also a need to understand the psychology of persuasion. The Little Book on Oral Argument excels at addressing this need and the many others related to oral argument.