The best storytellers seem to be the most prepared. They have their client’s case pared down to a theme, a story. The Los Angeles business lawyer is an attorney who is an expert in Los Angeles business and corporation laws.
Owning the courtroom with voice and presence tends to be a weakness of many women trial attorneys. The quality of voice makes a surprising difference in keeping jurors engaged. Tired jurors pick up with the energy of a vibrant voice. Soft voices of either gender can be a disadvantage, and this tends to be something more common with women because of naturally softer voices. Women should deal with the projection of one’s confidence. Everyone can recall the experience of watching an actor or speaker on a stage or on the screen where one cannot take their eyes away- That “something” is in large part the skillful projection of confidence.
Both of these qualities, presence and voice, can be achieved and/or improved with thought and practice. However, if the quality is one that is not quite "real,” the danger is that there may be moments when the mask is dropped and jurors will see the real lawyer behind the image.
Vulnerability can be extremely appealing to jurors, when it is owned. Trial lawyers who drop something or get caught mid-word or mid-strategy with an obvious miscalculation or mistake can win jurors' sympathy and support by acknowledging the error or miscalculation with some humor and moving on. This ability not to get stricken with embarrassment or to be thrown off stride comes with maturity and genuineness, qualities available to both genders.
Being professional
Mastering the Evidence Code unfortunately tends to be rare and is seen most often with trial lawyers of either gender who were trained, too often, in the criminal sector. Experience with the rules of evidence includes knowing when not to make an objection, or at the very least, making them infrequently and only when it serves a real purpose, such as protecting your witness. Peppering the other side with objections that may be valid but achieve no real purpose other than to rattle the opponent is not well received by jurors. If anything, they often engender sympathy for the lawyer they see as being able to use this as an advantage if the softer voice is always calm and in control. I have heard experts in the field of psychology and psychiatry refer to the resistance felt by people when women’s voices get loud and shrill, reminding them of their mothers “yelling” at them. The shift from being too quiet to being loud and firm enough has to skirt the potential for sounding shrill.