Public Speaking For Attorneys

I mentioned public speaking in a post last week, and I wanted to briefly expand upon my thoughts. I think that a lot of attorneys feel that they should be doing some kind of public speaking (whether presentations or panels), but they perhaps don’t know how to go about it. I’ve historically done a lot of speaking (mostly at entertainment and digital media focused conferences), and although I do less nowadays, hopefully my experiences can be helpful to attorneys (and aspiring attorneys).

Why Public Speaking?

In my opinion, there are a few reasons why an attorney should consider doing some speaking engagements:

1.     It can be a good way to build your network (especially by meeting the other panelists/speakers).

2.     You might get new clients directly from the engagement.

3.     It can help build your professional brand.

4.     It forces attorneys to be able to organize their ideas and communicate them clearly and succinctly.

5.     It increases confidence.

All five reasons are somewhat important in their own way, but I think the last two are most valuable. I spend between fifty percent and ninety percent of a normal workday on the phone discussing deal points and seeking to articulate my client’s position (and, by extension, trying to persuade the other side to agree with us). That requires the ability to speak clearly, confidently, succinctly and persuasively – and public speaking can help hone that ability. I imagine the same goes for litigation (indeed, my partner Nancy Wolff and former partner Eleanor Lackman, both litigators, do more public speaking than almost anyone I know).

Getting Started

Once you’ve decided that you want to try public speaking, how do you get started? It’s a little tricky because most conferences will ask about your prior speaking engagements before they agree to book you. Accordingly, if you are just starting out, you should seek other ways to build your resume. Speaking at internal law school or firm events can therefore be a first good step.

One thing to note about public speaking is that, for most of us, repeated practice and persistence is essential. Some people are naturally proficient and charismatic public speakers. I am not one of them. The key is to start early and to be resolved that you are going to keep trying and working at your skills. My first speaking engagement in front of a general audience was in 2009. It was a disaster. I was a bundle of nerves, I mumbled and bumbled my way through the panel, and I almost had a full blown panic attack afterward. But I persisted, and I got better and more confident with each subsequent engagement.

I would recommend that anybody new to public speaking offer to moderate panels, instead of being a panelist. Moderating is great for new speakers because there are fewer wild cards. Because you are the one asking the questions, you can prepare and you are less likely to be asked a question that you don’t know the answer to (which can be a source of great anxiety). A good transition would be to start by moderating panels at your law school or hosted by your law firm, then moderate some panels at external conferences, and finally transition to being a panelist.

Tips For Public Speaking

So you’ve been booked on a panel or to speak at a conference. Now what? Here are a few tips.

-       Survey the audience. The first thing I always do at the start of any panel is ask the audience about themselves. Are they attorneys? Firm or in-house? Or are they producers? Have they produced any films to date? By understanding the audience, you can be more relevant and more useful.

-       Practice introducing yourself. You should be able to introduce yourself and describe your practice in thirty seconds. This is one of THE most important skills for any attorney seeking to develop business. This is a good opportunity to practice!

-       If you are giving a presentation, limit the slides. Ideally ten or fewer.

-       Listen and take notes as other panelists speak. A panelist is much more interesting if the panelists are responding to issues raised by each other, instead of regurgitating a pre-canned speech.

-       Watch the audience. See what they are responding to, and what they seem to find interesting. Read the room.

-       Ask other panelists questions. When I am a panelist, I routinely ask my fellow panelists follow-up questions, or ask for their perspectives based on what I’ve learned about them. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I’m intensely intellectually curious, so if something interests me I need to know more. Secondly, in most instances I’m better versed in the subject matter and more experienced as a moderator than the actual moderator, so I’m better positioned to gauge what the audience will find interesting.

-       Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know the answer to something. The instances where I’ve gotten myself into trouble on panels has been when I’ve contorted myself to answer questions that I’m not equipped to answer. Always feel comfortable saying “That’s not really my area of expertise” or, better yet, “I think [other panelist] is more qualified to speak to that question than me.”

-       Let other panelists take a turn. Be emotionally intelligent. Don’t dominate the discussion.

-       Let diverse voices have their moment in the spotlight. If you’re a white man, try to enable and support the women/non-binary people and other diverse panelists. You can make your points and achieve your goal while also being an ally. The two things are not mutually exclusive.

-       Don’t be afraid to crack some jokes. A panel is better for everyone if it’s funny. And if your joke bombs, follow it with some self-deprecation. Everyone will appreciate that.