#26 Way To Make A Good Impression
I had one case where I pretty much knew the jury was on my side by the end. I had prepared my closing statement the night before, so I was ready to go. There was a break where the jury went out before receiving their instructions. I noticed that the opposing counsel was writing his closing statement during that break and would likely continue while the judge was reading the jury instructions. His table was a mess—papers and books were everywhere and he was frantically scribbling on a notepad while shuffling through papers, adding things up in a phone calculator, etc.
I decided to clear everything off of my table and put it out of sight. When the jury came back in, I just sat there with nothing but a brand new, clean yellow legal pad and a pen. The opposing counsel was still scribbling and shuffling, and his table was still a mess. I sat back with crossed my legs and pressed my fingertips together while I listened to the judge read the instructions to the jury. I like to think that made a good final impression on the jury. They came back with a verdict fully in my favor.
Credit: Thirty_Helens_Agree
