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The Law Insider How to Deliver a Closing Argument How to Deliver an Opening Statement How to Think Like a Lawyer Court Room Dress Code 101 - How to Dress for Court Mock Trial 101: How to Cross an Expert Witness Mock Trial 101: How to Impeach a Witness Mock Trial 101: How to Introduce Real Evidence How to Make a Strong Opening Statement Trial Advocacy Tips for Handling a Child Witness Top 10 Tips for a Marriage-Based Interview How to Survive a Deposition: Eight Great Tips Top Tips to Win the Jury

Hey folks, this is Preston Clark. I created Trial Skills Live a few years ago with the help of David Podein. We had a ton of fun creating our Mock Trial video series-- and we hope that you are enjoying the great MOCK TRIAL and related content here on our website.

As you may have noticed, it's been a while since we have posted anything new. professors and attorneys love saying that to students who are learning the law. But what does it really mean to think like a lawyer? Does it mean you have strong analytical skills or that you good at making and countering arguments?

Let take a look at defense attorney Arthur Aidala who is representing NFL hall-of-famer Lawrence Taylor on rape charges. I know, it not the nicest of cases to be using as an example Cocktailjurken 2012 on my blawg but Mr. Aidala does a hell of a job of dancing around questions posed by the Fox News reporter about the charges and allegations against the retired NFL great

(interview starts at minute 1:15).

What you will notice is that Mr. Aidala is answering questions that anticipate his defense of Mr. Taylor.

"What happened in that hotel room?"

Mr. Aidala responds by saying that he doesn't want to focus on what happened but rather on what did NOT happen. That after all is the burden the court system will place on Mr. Taylor-- it is not the defense's burden to prove what happened but rather to create doubt surrounding what ALLEGEDLY happened. For that reason, Mr. Aidala, when giving his answers, is focusing on the facts that are most favorable to his client in countering the 3rd degree rape charge.

It's easy to see where he's going with the argument, right? "There was no sexual intercourse!" It's not his job to prove that Mr. Taylor was not in the hotel room with the girl or that there was no sexual contact. It's his burden to undermine the statutory rape charge-- which means disproving that sexual intercourse occurred.

Mr. Aidala is indeed "thinking like a lawyer." He may not win any humanitarian awards for his defense of Mr. Taylor, but he's certainly doing his job.

Part 1 Party to the Case Plaintiff/Defendant

If you have the misfortune to be either a Plaintiff or Defendant in a civil or Vintage Trouwjurk criminal trial, it is important to spend a few minutes planning your attire. You are already investing a good deal of time and money Lange Cocktailjurken into these proceedings and now is not the time to disregard such a simple yet important part of your presentation. How the judge or jury perceives you is one of the many factors that will influence a final decision. We can argue all day about whether as a society we should form opinions about people based upon appearance, but that not going to change the fact that we do.

Chris Brown facing charges of felony assault in 2009. Chris dressed and acted conservatively in court.

With that in mind, lets talk about what you should wear to court.

1. Whether you find yourself in Miami, Florida or Portland, Maine, the courtroom is a formal setting with conservative standards. You will need to dress yourself accordingly.

2. For men, a dark suit, white shirt and tie is best. If you don own a suit, slacks, a white shirt and a tie will do just fine. But remember the key word here is conservative. I was recently involved in a criminal trial where the defendant was wearing a very expensive grey suit with a loud orange tie. He pretty much looked like an organized crime boss from South Beach and I can guarantee that the judge and jury took notice of it.

3. For women, wear a dark suit, dress or blouse. Avoid spike heels or open toed shoes. If you are wearing a dress, pantyhose are strongly recommended. Wearing a bra is strongly advised, as well.

4. Comfort is important here, too. I know that many of us don wear suits everyday and it can be a little awkward putting one on. It important that you look comfortable and at ease while in court. I would suggest wearing it around for a couple of hours prior to trial to make sure you comfortable wearing it around.

5. To reiterate the importance of dressing conservatively, lets talk about a few things NOT to wear: (a) lots of jewelry, (b) strong perfume or cologne, (c) revealing clothing, (d) loud colors, and (e) conspicuous hairstyles. These may some obvious to some and less obvious to others, but these are all things that you should not wear in court. They are distracting and will give the impression that you don respect the proceedings.

In a nut shell, you don want to call any extra attention to your outfit either because of how nice/expensive it looks or because of how informal it looks. You are in court to make a good impression and while a couple of the jurors might appreciate your taste in diamond-studded Louis Vuitton handbags, it probably won help persuade the judge and jury to find in your favor. In fact, if you are a victim seeking money damages, showing off your wealth is not going to help your cause. Likewise, if you are being charged with a crime, dressing informally or in a trendy fashion, will give the impression that you not taking the proceedings seriously.