Sonya Hamlin - Courtroom Communication & Strategy

Sonya is the "guru" of courtroom communication, having created that field at Harvard Law School. As a nationally recognized trial and communications expert and an analyst on national television, radio and in the press, she has covered the entire O.J. Simpson case, the Oklahoma City bombing case, the Clinton impeachment trial, Martha Stewart, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson cases as well as the 2004 Presidential debates.

A highly successful author, Sonya's groundbreaking What Makes Juries Listen has been succeeded by her bestselling What Makes Juries Listen Today, which is available as a book and on tape and CDs. She teaches courtroom communication in the U.S. for the ABA, ALI-ABA, NITA, Defense Research Institute, American College of Trial Lawyers and the state Bar Associations among others. She also has given courses for barristers and Queen's Counsel in the U.K.

Through individual consulting and in group presentations, Sonya teaches trial advocacy from the jury's point of view. She helps lawyers understand how the jury sees the trial, their prejudices and preconceptions, how they make decisions and what turns them off. She develops effective communication techniques to get complex messages across and help clarify the case as well as preparing witnesses to be most effective.

Topics Covered in Sonya's Lecture-Demonstrations, Seminars and Workshops

Basic principles of communicating with anyone today
Understanding the Jury: How they think, what they need, how they decide
Voir Dire: Problems, questioning techniques, questions that work
Preparation of fact and expert witnesses for deposition and trial
Direct Examination: Organization; handling the witness; making it visual
Cross Examination: Dangers; effective impeachment; questioning techniques
Final Argument: What jurors need; openings and closings; persuasion skills
Demonstrative Evidence: Helping juries understand and remember; formats and techniques
Non-verbal skills in the courtroom
Business communication skills for lawyers: Meetings, presentations and one-on-one skills
Handling the media: getting your message across; personal style; safe but substantive answers; avoidance doesn't work

Her teaching methods include:

Audience participation and role play
Re-creation, performance and analysis of all aspects of the trial
Videotape and replay
Live demonstrations

Coaching and Consulting for Trial Success:

Preparation of the Case: How jurors see your issues; context material jurors need
Creating strategies for the case: issues from the juriey's point of view, order of wirnesses, what needs to be visual and how
Credibility: whom will they believe, what else you need
Crafting Effective Opening Statements: Presentation skills; visual approaches; effective openings and closings
Developing and Designing Demonstrative Evidence: Making your issues visual
Preparation of Expert Witnesses: Teaching self-editing; presentation style; helping experts understand the jury and what they need; handling depositions and cross-examination; developing visual demonstrations
Preparation of Fact Witnesses: See above content for expert witnesses
Final Argument: Creating and presenting persuasive final arguments

Interested in scheduling an appointment to discuss your trial needs? Click here.