The Art of Advocacy

Students in The Dickson Poon School of Law enjoyed a special talk from the former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, on Thursday 23 January.

 

Distinguished Visitor and Visiting Professor Lord Judge, spoke to an audience of students from the School’s LLB programme as well as postgraduates about the skills and qualities required of a good advocate. Many of the techniques of a good advocate are personal, “an advocate cannot be anything other than their own man or woman”, he said.  

Whether deciding where to go with friends, or shopping at the supermarket, we are all subjected to persuasion in our daily lives.  However; advocacy in court is an art that requires the advocate to be flexible, alert and remain calm and collected under the scrutiny of the court, Lord Judge explained.

Lord Judge offered practical tips to students when advocating in court, saying “don’t forget to listen” and “don’t underestimate the value of a pause”. “Think to yourself, if I was the Judge in this case, what would I ask me tomorrow?”  Lord Judge closed by reminding students never to lose their humility as they represented clients on a potentially life-changing day. “The profession is not easy, but nothing worth having is easy” he said.

Lord Judge was Lord Chief Justice from October 2008 and was described as ‘one of our greatest Chief Justices’ at the special valedictory hearing held at the Royal Courts of Justice in July 2013 to mark his retirement.

Lord Judge joined The Dickson Poon School of Law as Dickson Poon Distinguished Visitor in November 2013.

See forthcoming events from The Dickson Poon School of Law.

King's Law students are also invited to attend the forthcoming Contentious Questions seminars with Lord Judge.