Best Them with Body Language: How to Win a Wordless Victory in Court

With every word or gesture capable of carrying weight and gravitas, juries watch not only those on the stand but those who are representing them too with an eagle eye, hoping that in doing so they’ll be able to discern the truth that lies beneath the surface.

This is why it’s so important for those within the legal profession to understand exactly what it is they’re conveying, via both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication. Trials are a form of theatre, and when you’re placed in the starring role, it’s imperative that your body says exactly what you want it to.

With this in mind, here are a few top tips from those in the know.

Stay in character at all times

When you’re chosen to act as someone’s legal counsel, you’ll find that from the second you walk into the courtroom, the eyes of the jury will be upon you. Everyone in the room will be watching your every move in order to try and gauge the truth beneath the usually conflicting accounts they’re being presented with. This scrutiny is relentless, for without any other form of entertainment and with the pressure of making the right decision on their shoulders, you’ll become a key point of focus for the jurors, with every innocuous gestured noted and analysed. With this in mind, it pays to be self-aware at all times, so guides such as this are a handy resource for helping you to work out exactly what it is that you’re saying.

Spend some time studying your face in the mirror

Staying in character is essential, but it can be difficult to know what exactly it is you’re conveying when you don’t have any means by which to study yourself. This is why we recommend spending some time observing your face and considering your expressions in the mirror before you set foot in the courtroom. Ask yourself what your neutral, resting expression looks like: is it calm and relaxed or sombre and confrontational? The key to a good courtroom demeanour is to make yourself appear as trustworthy as possible, so practise conveying this in your mirror at home. Some people find it can be helpful to put themselves in a high-stakes situation while doing this, in order to emulate courtroom conditions, and online gaming can be ideally suited to such a purpose. A game like live roulette, which is available to play on sites such as Paddy Power, is perfect as it’s engaging and immersive but can still be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home. Try to maintain the right sort of facial expression even when the roulette is spinning and there’s real money on the table, and you should have no trouble repeating such a feat in court. To do so, set up your web camera or digital camera (or even smartphone) to record your face, and then go back to study the results.

Master the art of the subtle smile

As we mentioned above, successful lawyers know how to convey themselves as reliable and trustworthy, and it helps to master the art of smiling. While grinning like a Cheshire cat is likely to have the opposite effect to the one you’re aiming for, a subtle, composed smile conveys confidence and friendliness. This site has some more handy tips for helping with this, which can help paint you as someone whose statements can be trusted. Not only this, but it’s a great way to keep your cards close to your chest, such as when an unexpected testimony backfoots you. Whereas frowning or rocking back in such circumstances may be read by jurors as a sign that you feel your case has been undermined, a subtle, practised smile suggests you’re unperturbed and that everything is going exactly as you hoped it would.

Why not give these tips a try the next time you take centre stage?