[blindLaw] Advice for Oral Arguments

[Maura Kutnyak]

Hi Ellen,

My advice is based on a few different moot court experiences in law school, a couple courses on the topic of oral argument, and about six months practice as a public defender. So please weigh and measure what I have to say in relation to that background.

I have found that notes are mostly useful in preparation for oral argument. They allow an opportunity to organize and structure your arguments, more importantly, to identify the pieces that construct the hole. As you  write your argument, consider making headings for each major point and  minor sub points. Doing this in word, and using JAWS, I’m able to turn on quick keys and jump from heading to heading using the letter H. So on the rare occasion that I have the presence of mind and patience to search for information during argument, I can quickly jump through the major pieces. 

I think that it’s important to not be too locked into your notes, and the linear path that they demand. If you can think of your argument is more of a puzzle made of pieces, when those questions come along and throw you off track, you can jump to one of the other pieces of your argument , without as much disruption to the flow. This is because the points exist independently of each other in your mind. You just have to be OK with not following the path that the notes layout.

I also always strive to practice the argument out loud in as many contexts and in front of as many different people as possible. But also just doing the argument while making dinner, or in the shower really helps the information settle more deeply into your memory. I think there’s a kinesthetic component for me as well, moving around, moving my hands a bit creates a mind-body connection that the information can attach to.

Finally, I guess just understanding that your oral arguments will never be perfect because your standards, each of our standards are likely much higher than is realistic. However, your preparation will make it so that things turn out much better than your anxieties may predict.

Take good  care! I wish you all the best. 

Warmly,

Maura Kutnyak Esq.
716-563-9882

> On Feb 26, 2024, at 9:57 AM, Kyra Sweeney via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Ellen,
> I participated in moot court in law school. My strategy was to organize my notes so that I knew exactly what information I could find in each paragraph. I was reading my notes with a Braille display, and I used the navigate to next/previous paragraph feature quite a bit. I would also try to anticipate questions and have responses as close to memorized as possible.
> 
> Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me off-list at kyra.sweeney94 at gmail.com.
> 
> Best,
> Kyra
> 
> 
> 
>> On Feb 26, 2024, at 9:28 AM, Ellen Harper via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi All,
>> 
>> I am preparing for oral arguments in my legal practice class and was
>> wondering if anyone has advice on how to navigate being interrupted with
>> questions while not being able to quickly scan notes. Any advice would be
>> greatly appreciated.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> Ellen
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