Tips for Delivery of a Lecture at a Legal Conference

In this item, David Marks KC delivers some useful tips for those delivering a lecture at a legal conference – whether experienced or inexperienced in the task, at a practical level.

Case the room a minimum of 20 minutes beforehand

• Do it before the day starts, or in a long break.
• Yes, go up on stage, get a feel for the lectern and the stage.
• Check the PowerPoint clicker. Ask if the laser pointer works. (It won’t on LED screens.)
• Try them out. Move your slides forward. And back.
• Why? You look like a rank amateur if you cannot move a slide.  So get the sound guy to put new batteries in things, if they don’t work. Before your presentation starts.

The sound guy

• The sound guy makes you look good.
• When you are casing the room – say hello.
• Some small-talk. He’ll be listening to your voice.
• Get a lapel mike if he has one.
• Ask the sound guy when mikes will be hot, ie. when he’s turning them on.
• Thank the sound guy afterward, in the break.
• He made you look good.

At the lectern

• Do not take a computer up. You will be looking at the screen. All the time.
• Work from written or printed notes. If you need notes.

PowerPoints

• Use large font on PowerPoints.
• If you want us to read a long passage – put it in a note/paper to take away. Regardless, don’t keep on saying “you can read it later” or “it’s in the paper”.
• Curiously we always got complaints if there were no PowerPoints.
• But only bring 5 substantive slides for 60 minutes. Because your oral presentation is not your paper.

Oral presentation is all

• The oral presentation is completely different from your paper.
• You have 45 minutes? That might be 4 good points, 4 ppts.
• Stick to just that.
• You are not reading the paper.
• You are doing something completely different.
• You are talking to your colleagues, to engage and persuade.

Deliver

• Deliver what you were asked.
• If you are the 1 hour ethics point for a room full of lawyers, do not accept a 50 minute slot. Remind the organiser you need the 60 minutes under the lawyers’ rules.
• Deliver. Leave nothing on the table. Passion. Concentration. Light and shade. Some emotional connexion.

Time

• Do not go over time. It is so disrespectful to the next speaker. At the end of a day, people need to get on trains or pick up children. Tighten it up, sit down, and take the applause.