Being Heard: Presentation Skills for Attorneys.

• Author: Kirby, Tom
• Position: Book review

Being Heard: Presentation Skills for Attorneys

by Faith Pincus

Faith Pincus is a familiar name to many Florida lawyers because of her continuing legal education company, Pincus Professional Education, which offers CLE seminars in Florida and other states.

Her book, Being Heard: Presentation Skills for Attorneys, was recently published by the American Bar Association. She speaks from experience, including 25 years training attorneys, executives, and politicians to become more powerful and persuasive speakers. She began her legal career as a federal law clerk and tried cases for a major California law firm. She also ran 25 political campaigns before starting her CLE business.

Before reading her book, I heard Faith Pincus on a podcast interview, so I know the sound of her voice. I am able to say that her writing style is just as natural and easy to follow as her speaking voice. She is clear, direct, and friendly. Most importantly, from the perspective of her readers, she is a storyteller. And all of her stories are relevant to the specific information she gives about the numerous finer points of creating and delivering effective presentations.

Besides employing her ability to write in a conversational tone, Pincus has organized her book in a logical format with two main parts. Part I is general information for anyone, lawyer or not, who wants to give more effective presentations. The main areas of part I are about audience analysis, message building, delivery skills, technology, and audience interaction. In other words, she starts at square one, making sure you know everything you need to know about the audience you are addressing, and takes you all the way to the conclusion, when you...