Categories: Legal Profession Law Practice Skills

Instructor(s)

Peterson, James
Plum, Christina

Course Data

Pass/Fail: Yes

Course Description

Course objectives:

The content of this course focuses on developing those core communication skills that all lawyers need and use in their practice. In this course you will work on:
• Developing and projecting self-confidence;
• Intentionally designing the content and structure of presentations; and
• Developing, through practice and observation, a reliable capacity to perform well in a variety of speaking situations.

This course will teach students strategies for effective public speaking to large and small audiences and individuals. Specific exercises include introducing a speaker to an audience, providing a research report to a supervising attorney, responding to questions, speaking extemporaneously, persuasive and impactful speaking, and explaining legal concepts to an audience.

This two-credit course is offered pass/fail only.

This course meets only the first eight weeks of the semester. If a student must miss class due to illness or other conflict, make-up classes may be arranged. Passage requires active participation in class. There is no final exam.

The instructors are Adjunct Professors James Peterson and Christina Plum, both of whom have previously taught an oral communications course at the UW Law School. For more information, please email them.
James Peterson: jpeterson@gklaw.com
Christina Plum: plumchristina@yahoo.com

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