Legal Professionals: 4 Steps to Mastering Effective Communication

As a lawyer or legal professional, do you ever feel like opportunities may be slipping through your fingers due to your current level of English?

Whilst your level of general English is quite good, you find yourself hesitating to participate in meetings with clients and colleagues. You understand the gist of what’s being said, but can’t quite find the right words before the moment has passed. You’re frustrated because you want to talk to people at networking events, but you’re second-guessing yourself about what to say. You know your stuff and want to take the lead in negotiations and presentations, but you’re worried that you might stumble over your words and not be able to express yourself clearly.

To put it simply, you’re worried that you won’t be able to hold court.

(to) hold court [legal English idiom] – to hold the attention of people while you talk, due to being engaging, funny or interesting

To address this problem, and improve your communication effectiveness, you’ve probably tried at least one of the following:

- taking general English classes in an academy or with a private tutor

- studying a legal English course (that was predominantly reading/writing focused)

- self-study using textbooks, vocabulary lists and perhaps a few TedTalks

Despite making some progress, this hasn’t translated into real results at work – where it really matters.

Why is this the case?

To use one-too-many legal puns, you’ve been spending too much time preparing the case and not enough time actually on the courtroom floor. If you want to really master effective communication, you have to cross the threshold, adorn the wig and address the jury…

Okay, Rachel…. But how do I do this?

Step 1: You have to burn your boats.

“Burn my what, now?” I hear you ask. Let me explain…

This analogy dates back to 1519 and Hernán Cortés – a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition of 600 men and 11 boats to the Gulf of Mexico. The aim of the expedition was to conquer the – then Aztec – land. Cortés made history on this expedition by ordering his men to destroy the boats (by sinking them, rather than burning them as the legend goes)[1] – two years later, he had succeeded in his conquest of the Aztec Empire.

The symbolism behind burning your boats is a psychological commitment to making Plan A work, because there is no Plan B. I want you to adopt this attitude to success in your legal career: commit to speaking up in the meeting, to starting the conversation with the client at the networking event and to volunteering to take the lead on the presentation. This is how you will develop your communication skills fast – because once you’ve asked the client how her day is going, you’re much more likely to continue the conversation than to run away and hide in the bathroom (one would hope).

That’s a great pep talk – but what do I actually SAY to them?

Great question!

In order for Plan A to work, you actually need to have a Plan A. If you can commit yourself to Step 1, I solemnly swear to help you with the remaining 3 steps…

Step 2: Learn the business culture of English-speaking countries.

As a legal professional working with clients, colleagues and potential employers from English-speaking countries, it’s essential not only to be able to speak English with confidence but to understand the subtleties and nuances of different business cultures to give you a competitive edge.

Did you know, for example, that it’s common for the British to use humour to establish rapport before doing business? “Ah, now the sprinkling of tangential puns throughout this article makes sense,” you say. (Yes, I’m British).

Learning these nuances can also help you engage clients, colleagues and potential employers in small talk – an often underrated skill. Whilst most professionals know that making a good first impression is important, many are unaware that it only takes the average person just 7 seconds to judge traits such intelligence, trustworthiness and competence.[2] This is why, with my 1-1 clients, we spend the first pillar of my 10-week ‘Legal English: Communication Skills Course’ focusing on nailing these basics.

Step 3: Roleplay real-life work scenarios.

In general English classrooms you will (if you’re lucky enough to have a good teacher) get some speaking practice. Usually, however, this is limited to conversation practice and responding to a series of pre-set questions about your family, your weekend or an abstract textbook topic with a partner who is in a completely different line of work.

If you take a legal English course at an accredited centre this will (in all likelihood) focus on legal drafting and research – crucial skills that I also touch on with my clients, BUT these skills will not help you at the networking event when the big-wig client introduces himself and you, having no idea what to say, start to think that running to the bathroom may not be such a bad idea after all…

The second pillar I focus on with my clients is their communication effectiveness in negotiations, meetings, presentations, interviews and debates. Roleplay is a large part of this: I strongly advise that you find a coach who can not only clarify points of vocabulary and grammar for you, but who can support you with the content of what you’re saying and teach you how to interrupt politely, respond to questions and handle rebuttals.

You also need a coach who, understanding your career goals and dreams, will help you change your mindset so that you are ready to raise your hand or make the introduction in that crucial moment (see Step 1)!

Step 4: Get Feedback and upgrade your language.

Just like when starting a business, you put your product to the market to receive feedback, iterate, and repeat – it’s the same when it comes to mastering effective communication.

If, for instance, you tell me: “Oh, I was so busy this week at work – I forgot to contact a really important client!” Now, I understand you perfectly and your grammar is correct. But, I can help you to upgrade your language here to reach a more advanced level:

“Oh, I was snowed under this week at work – I completely forgot to touch base with a really important client!"

This is the kind of feedback I share with my 1-1 clients to build upon their pre-existing knowledge of English. If you follow these steps too, I guarantee that – in the not-too-distant future - you’ll be able to hold the attention of people due to being engaging, funny and interesting.

Or, using our upgraded language (go on, you remember it):

You’ll be able to hold court with native speakers.

If you’re ready to take the first step towards furthering your career in law, get in touch with me to book a free 30-minute strategy session, where I can show you how I deliver on Steps 2, 3 and 4: [email protected] 

[1] Reynolds, W. (1959), “The Burning Ships of Hernán Cortés” in Hispania, Vol.42, No.3, Sept., pp.317-324.

[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2018/06/19/you-have-7-seconds-to-make-a-first-impression-heres-how-to-succeed/?sh=3e70cb6056c2