Doing Yourself Justice in Court

Doing Yourself Justice in Court is a course of two one-hour, one-to-one sessions designed to help you present your case with clarity and confidence.

It's aimed primarily at claimants and defendants, though witnesses also benefit from the sessions.

From anticipating the questions an opposing barrister might ask to knowing where to look in the courtroom, the course addresses the aspects of giving evidence that claimants and defendants most often find daunting.

During the sessions, you will:

• Get to know the courtroom. Understand court procedure and key legal terminology, and picture the setting — wigs and all! — so it feels less unfamiliar. Together, we'll consider strategies to help you feel less intimidated on the day.
• Clarify your key messages. Identify the central points you want the judge and/or jury to take away from your case, and work out the clearest way to communicate them.
• Prepare for cross-examination. Anticipate the kinds of questions both barristers might ask, including how to recognise a leading question and how to take it apart before answering.
• Defuse difficult details. Practise saying aloud anything painful or embarrassing in your case, so it feels less raw when you have to share it publicly under scrutiny.
• Master pace and pause. Learn to use timing to your advantage, so you respond thoughtfully rather than rushing your words — and practise this through real questioning scenarios.
• Refine your presence. Work on posture, body language, and eye contact so you come across as calm and composed, even under hostile questioning.

Course length:
Two x one-hour sessions.

Course location:
Ideally, face to face at a venue in Altrincham. However, the sessions can happen virtually via Zoom.

Course fee:
£500