Professor Leslie Thomas QC
In this episode Professor Leslie Thomas QC speaks about preparing your case theory and strategy, and using your own voice for effective advocacy.
Show notes
- Leslie’s advocacy style at the beginning of his career and how it developed.
- How to be conversational with judges and juries.
- The importance of not seeing a case as simply black or white; there are various shades of grey.
- The advice he was given that changed his advocacy style.
- How teaching advocacy made a difference to his own advocacy.
- The barrister whose advocacy impressed Leslie and how he shattered the illusion that you had to sound like everyone else.
- Leslie’s first experience in court and how that impacted on his advocacy as a junior barrister.
- The importance of being who you are and using your natural voice.
- Accepting yourself and also accepting that the work environment you inhabit may not be accepting of you.
- Leslie’s tools for getting to grips with the facts and issues and how he spots inconsistencies in the evidence.
- Examples of how Leslie has used the information he has found from his preparation against witnesses.
- Leslie considers whether there are any short cuts in preparations.
- Dealing with weaknesses in your case.
- Whether Leslie varies his approach to different witnesses.