The Ends Justify Demeanor

“The business that we love we rise betime,

  And go to’t with delight.”

- Antony and Cleopatra  IV,4; Antony, discussing war with a soldier

“Your face, my thane, is as a book where men

  May read strange matters”

- Macbeth  I, 5; Lady Macbeth to Macbeth

When it’s time to step to the lectern, it helps to remember your demeanor.

Smile (appropriately). Show no fear of an inquiry. Try to be thoughtful when the court asks a question. Do not be afraid to stand and think for a bit before answering a question. Be wide open; show no defensiveness. 

Eye contact with the entire panel is important.  If you are in the midst of a long explanation or answer, feel free to move your eyes across the panel. If you can pull it off, try to say the names of the judges when responding to something specific they said; e.g., “Madam Chief Justice, if I can return to the question you asked my opponent a minute ago . . .” or “Yes, Mr. Justice Smith, we should care that the Defendant did not receive notice because . . .” Judges are human beings like the rest of us. We pay more attention when someone says our name.