i am a lawyer who is afraid of public speaking

Lawyers with extreme public speaking anxiety should never feel, or be made to feel, like they are in the wrong profession or need to do something else with their lives. Instead, with increased self-awareness and adoption of conscious mental and physical techniques, we can empower ourselves to step into public speaking scenarios and shine.

Full Answer

Is fear of public speaking Holding you Back from becoming a lawyer?

So it is unnecessary to let the fear of public speaking hold you back from becoming a lawyer as there are many other types of jobs available in the law which do not require a lawyer to address large amounts of people. Hence, fear of public speaking does not pose as an impediment for a successful law career.

Is it normal to be afraid of public speaking?

Nevertheless, fear of public speaking is very common; approximately 25 percent of people report experiencing it. While some people experience a debilitating form of glossophobia, even a mild form can have devastating effects.

Do lawyers need to be good at public speaking?

Most legal jobs do not need a lawyer to be good at public speaking and it is not required like in-house-counsels or corporate lawyers. Public speaking is mostly required in litigation where the lawyer has to present arguments in a court.

What is glossophobia (fear of public speaking)?

Glossophobia — a really cool and geeky name for the fear of public speaking — appears when you are performing or expecting to perform an oral presentation or a speech in front of other people.

Can you be a lawyer without public speaking?

Are great public speaking skills necessary for success as a lawyer? They can certainly help, but they aren't mandatory. But if you are a litigator (or want to be one), it is worth investing in these skills.

How I cured my fear of public speaking?

AdvertisementKnow your topic. ... Get organized. ... Practice, and then practice some more. ... Challenge specific worries. ... Visualize your success. ... Do some deep breathing. ... Focus on your material, not on your audience. ... Don't fear a moment of silence.More items...

What do you call a person who is afraid of public speaking?

Glossophobia is a very common phobia characterized by a strong fear of public speaking. Individuals with glossophobia may avoid speaking in public, as they typically experience fear and anxiety when speaking in front of a group of people.

What are lawyers scared of?

Being judged unfairly by potential or actual jurors. Being intimidated by judges. Suffering reprisals from judicial disqualification motions or reporting judicial misconduct. Suffering “the pain, humiliation and shame of defeat.”

Why do I hate public speaking so much?

Here's the bad news: Our brains have transferred that ancient fear of being watched onto public speaking. In other words, public-speaking anxiety is in our DNA. We experience public speaking as an attack. We physiologically register an audience as a threatening predator and mount a comparable response.

What are signs of speech anxiety?

Some of the most common symptoms of speech anxiety are: shaking, sweating, butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, and squeaky voice. Although it is often impossible to completely eliminate speech anxiety there are a variety of ways to deal with it and even make it work to your advantage.

Is fear of public speaking a disability?

Glossophobia isn't a dangerous disease or chronic condition. It's the medical term for the fear of public speaking. And it affects as many as four out of 10 Americans. For those affected, speaking in front of a group can trigger feelings of discomfort and anxiety.

What is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary — and, in an ironic twist, is the name for a fear of long words. Sesquipedalophobia is another term for the phobia.

Is fear of public speaking genetic?

The genetics behind the fear of public speaking 23andMe researchers identified 802 genetic markers that are associated with having a fear of public speaking. In addition to genetics, other factors like age, sex, and ancestry can also influence one's chances of having a fear of public speaking.

What are the problems lawyers face?

Top 7 Challenges of Being a Lawyer and How to Overcome ThemThe Long Hours. ... Stress. ... New Technologies. ... An Increasingly Competitive Job Market. ... Clients' Reluctance to Spend Money on Legal Services. ... "Guilty" Clients. ... Assumptions About Your Character.

Are lawyers rich?

Most lawyers earn more of a solid middle-class income," says Devereux. You probably will be carrying a large amount of student loan debt from law school, which is not at all ideal when you're just starting out in your career. "Make sure you only become a lawyer if you actually want to work as a lawyer.

What is the most common complaint against lawyers?

Perhaps the most common kinds of complaints against lawyers involve delay or neglect. This doesn't mean that occasionally you've had to wait for a phone call to be returned. It means there has been a pattern of the lawyer's failing to respond or to take action over a period of months.

About the Author

Jay Reeves practiced law in North Carolina and South Carolina and is author of The Most Powerful Attorney in the World. He runs Your Law Life LLC, which helps lawyers and firms improve their well-being and create saner, more successful law lives. He is available for talks, presentations and confidential consultations.

Jay Reeves

Jay Reeves practiced law in North Carolina and South Carolina and is author of The Most Powerful Attorney in the World. He runs Your Law Life LLC, which helps lawyers and firms improve their well-being and create saner, more successful law lives. He is available for talks, presentations and confidential consultations.

First: Shift the Paradigm and Forget About Yourself

According to Karen Lisko, PhD, senior litigation consultant at Persuasion Strategies, “Speakers need to understand that the speech is not about them. It is not about who they are or what they wear or how they look. An audience is basically narcissistic and wants to know how the speaker is going to solve their problem.

Next: Plan, Prepare and Practice

For Mighell, nothing beats solid preparation. “I need to have my entire presentation laid out, know what is on every slide, and even plan my transitions between slides. Then I’ll run through it a number of times until it sounds like I am having a conversation, not giving a speech.”

Finally, Rely on Some Time-Honored Strategies

Everyone has their little tricks for grabbing hold of the audience, keeping momentum up and the insecurities down. Here are some of our experts’ favorites.

What is the fear of public speaking?

Glossophobia, better known as speech anxiety, is the fear of public speaking which arises out of the fear of being evaluated negatively by a crowd and often leads to the inability to perform in front of people. There is a physical response to such a fear leading to increased heart rate, often times it also leads to sweating and deep anxiety.

Why is public speaking important?

This very simple knowledge that public speaking is important in inculcating practice in order to overcome the fear of public speaking. To overcome does not mean to extinguish the fear but it means to do so in spite of the fear.

What is the role of an expert orator in a court case?

Indeed, even the words an “expert orator” does not mean an eloquent and charismatic speaker but rather a speaker who can drive his point home briefly and with clarity.

What is viva in law school?

Vivas. Vivas are part of the curriculum in law colleges. Before a viva in front of a teacher, students are often overcome with nervousness, which they must face and do well under the circumstances. This stands as good practice to get over the fear of public speaking.

What is the first thing you do in law school?

Debating. Most colleges have a debating society. When you first enter the law school, one of the first activities you are introduced to is debating. Debating involves taking either side of a topic and arguing upon it. Debating allows students to interact with people from all batches. Presenting and defending your arguments in front ...

What does it mean to be a law?

Law requires a person to not only interact with clients and a variety of people but also to appear before the court and deliver arguments for their clients and it only means that a person has to persuasively and curtly deliver their arguments or speech.

Can students speak for the United Nations?

Students can voluntarily choose to speak for the country or the committee that they make up. Model United Nations provides plenty of opportunities for students to speak up and participate in discussions thereby providing a stage for students to overcome their fear of public speaking through practice in front of students from all over ...

What is the fear of public speaking?

Fear of public speaking is a common form of anxiety. It can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic. Many people with this fear avoid public speaking situations altogether, or they suffer through them with shaking hands and a quavering voice. But with preparation and persistence, you can overcome your fear.

What to do when you are afraid of something?

Then directly challenge them by identifying probable and alternative outcomes and any objective evidence that supports each worry or the likelihood that your feared outcomes will happen.

How to reduce anxiety in a speech?

Positive thoughts can help decrease some of your negativity about your social performance and relieve some anxiety. Do some deep breathing. This can be very calming. Take two or more deep, slow breaths before you get up to the podium and during your speech.

How to be less nervous when giving a presentation?

The more organized you are, the less nervous you'll be. Use an outline on a small card to stay on track. If possible, visit the place where you'll be speaking and review available equipment before your presentation. Practice, and then practice some more. Practice your complete presentation several times.

Can performance anxiety be a social phobia?

But people with severe performance anxiety that includes significant anxiety in other social situations may have social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia). Social anxiety disorder may require cognitive behavioral therapy, medications or a combination of the two. With. Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P.

Do people notice nervousness?

People mainly pay attention to new information — not how it's presented. They may not notice your nervousness. If audience members do notice that you're nervous, they may root for you and want your presentation to be a success. Don't fear a moment of silence.

Can you take a calming pill before public speaking?

As another option, your doctor may prescribe a calming medication that you take before public speaking. If your doctor prescribes a medication, try it before your speaking engagement to see how it affects you. Nervousness or anxiety in certain situations is normal, and public speaking is no exception. Known as performance anxiety, other examples ...

Why is it important to be a good public speaker?

Being a good public speaker can help you advance your career, grow your business, and form strong collaborations. It can help you promote ideas and move people to action on issues that affect them directly and society at large.

Is public speaking a fear?

Fear of public speaking is often not people’s biggest fear; there are many other things that people are really scared of. Nevertheless, fear of public speaking is very common;approximately 25 percent of people report experiencing it.

Is anxiety a physiological sign of fear?

For other people, the anxiety is limited to public speaking situations, but the physiological signs of fear they experience as they anticipate, prepare, and perform in public are similar. Moreover, some people experience what researchers call anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of fear.

Do a Bit of Soul Searching

Sometimes, we get stuck on an idea we have of ourselves that is left over from when we were younger or less experienced, and this idea inhibits us from realizing how awesome we’ve become.

Find a Safe Place to Practice

I had a hunch that the quickest way to get better at speaking in front of an audience was to practice, so I decided to sign up for Toastmasters.

Put Yourself Out There

While I was practicing public speaking on a weekly basis at Toastmasters meetings, I also started to take every speaking opportunity that came my way and prep for it rigorously, no matter how insignificant it might have seemed.

Learn From the Experts

I also spent a lot of time watching experts talk about public speaking and body language. One of the best sources of inspiration I came across is a well-known talk by Olivia Fox Cabane, a leadership coach who specializes in teaching charisma.

Fake it Until You Become It

Let’s say there are still a few holes in your knowledge or experience—then take Cuddy’s advice and fake it until you become it: Through subtle shifts in your body language, power posing, a few weekends spent studying up on a topic, pretending you’re someone else for a moment, or whatever else works for you, fake being an amazing public speaker until one day you are one..

Public Speaking: A Fear

• Glossophobia, better known as speech anxiety, is the fear of public speaking which arises out of the fear of being evaluated negatively by a crowd and often leads to the inability to perform in front of people. There is a physical response to such a fear leading to increased heart rate, often times it also leads to sweating and deep anxiety. Law re...

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Public Speaking Is Not A Prerequisite of Law

How Law School Help Students Overcome The Fear of Public Speaking

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