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Powerful Persuasion: Introduction and Table of Contents

Table of Contents
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Secret Sway
PDF Version of Persuasion

By Howard L. Nations
The Nations Law Firm

By Lawrence J. Smith
518 S. Rampart Street
New Orleans, LA 70113
(504) 524-6165

By Dr. Loretta Malandro

Malandro Communication Inc.
5665 No. Scottsdale Rd.
Building F, Suite 130
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
480-970-3200 office
480-970-0205 fax
email: partners@malandro.com

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank Dr. Loretta Malandro of Malandro Communications, Inc. and Lawrence J. Smith, a practicing attorney in New Orleans for their excellent work in the field of courtroom communications which formed the foundation of much of the information contained in this paper.

Their book, Courtroom Communication Strategies is the finest work I have seen in this field. The book (ISBN# 0930273079) can be ordered through the Michie Publishing Company by telephone @ 804-972-7600. Additionally, Dr. Malandro has created an excellent set of audiotapes entitled Courtroom Communication Strategies – The 21 Newest Techniques of Persuasion. This set of tapes can be ordered from Malandro Communications Inc., 1232 E. Broadway, Suite 201, Tempe, AZ 85282, or by telephone @ 602-894-1630.

Howard L. Nations

Table of Contents

  1. Communicating During the Trilogy of Persuasion: Voir Dire, Opening and Summation
    1. Understanding and Utilizing the Dynamics of Decision Making
      1. Aristotle’s Principles of Persuasion
      2. Modern Forensic Principles
        1. Jurors Decide Cases on Perceptions
          1. Preloaded Perceptions
          2. Preloads Role in Decision Making
          3. Preloads Role in Primacy
          4. Coping with Long-Held Beliefs
          5. Suspending Long-Held Beliefs
            1. Acknowledge and Justify Belief
            2. Link to the Belief
            3. Build a New Belief System
          6. Organization of Perceptions
          7. Jurors Seek to Render a Verdict Which They Perceive as Equitable
        2. Understanding the Conscious (Logic) vs. Unconscious (Emotion) Mind
          1. The Conscious Mind (Logic)
            1. The Conscious Mind Can Abstract
            2. The Conscious Mind Distinguishes Reality From Non Reality
            3. The Conscious Mind and the Rule of Three
            4. The Conscious Mind is Detail-Oriented
            5. The Conscious Mind Deals with Negatives
          2. The Unconscious Mind (Emotion)
            1. The Unconscious Mind Records a Total Experience
            2. The Unconscious Mind and Reality
            3. The Unconscious Mind Experiences in the Present Tense
            4. The Unconscious Mind Deals with Unlimited Information
            5. The Unconscious Mind Cannot Interpret Negatives
            6. The Unconscious Mind Handles Information Emotionally
          3. Retention and Recall
          4. The Role of the Five Senses
          5. Pneumonics
          6. Negatives and the Unconscious Mind
          7. Present Tense Appeal
        3. Attorneys Must Create Perceptions of Reality
        4. Jurors Search For and Appreciate Similarities
          1. The Search for Similarities
          2. The Effect of Similarities
          3. The Creation of Similarities
            1. Neurolinguistic Programming
            2. Tap Into the Listener’s Model
            3. Communicate With the Unconscious Mind
            4. Using Jurors’ Frame of Reference
            5. Psychological Bonding with Jurors
        5. The Principle of Reciprocity
        6. Jurors Use Trait Associations to Organize Perceptions
        7. The Attribution Theory on Causation Issues
          1. Reactive Attribution
          2. Purpose of Attribution
      3. Goals of the Advocate
        1. Inspire the Jury
          1. Creation of Perceptions
          2. Validation of Perceptions
          3. Motivation of Perceptions
        2. Influence the Jury
          1. Jurors Seek to Make Sense Out of Their Environment
          2. Consistency in Communications
          3. Data Which Influences Jurors
            1. Jurors are Impressed with Hard Data
            2. Jurors are Impressed with the Court’s Instructions
            3. The Principle of the Value of Scarcity
            4. Objections Increase Perceptions of Value
            5. Scarcity of the Expert
          4. Jurors are Subject to the Anesthetizing Effect
          5. Attorney-Client-Witness Credibility
            1. Jurors Search For and Appreciate Credibility
            2. Achieving Credibility
              1. Competence
              2. Trustworthiness
              3. Dynamism
            3. Influences on Perceptions of Credibility
              1. Personal Attributes
              2. Self Monitoring Characteristics
              3. Reputation
              4. Fairness
            4. Attorney’s Goals to Establish Credibility
              1. Establish Rapport
              2. Importance of Integrity
              3. Attorney-Client Relationship
              4. Display Professional Demeanor
              5. Communicate Simply
          6. Arenas of Influence
            1. Witness Stand
            2. Courtroom
            3. Courthouse
            4. Extrajudicial Considerations
          7. The Real Final Argument
            1. Identifying Roles Jurors Play
              1. Juror Advocates
              2. Followers
              3. Bench Warmer
              4. Negotiator
              5. Hangers
            2. Selection and Influence of Jury Leaders
              1. Ascribed or Achieved Status
              2. Leaders Are Confident and Communicative
              3. White Males Prevail
              4. Leaders Use Communication Skills
              5. Identifying Juror Advocates
            3. Arming Juror Advocates
        3. Instruct the Jury
          1. Jurors Look to Attorneys for Guidance
          2. Lead Jurors Through Suggestions
          3. Advise Jurors of Duties and Responsibilities
          4. Sample Argument Regarding Duties
        4. Empower the Jury
          1. Jurors Do Not Understand Their Power
          2. Use of Rhetorical Questions
          3. Imbue Jurors with a Sense of Power
    2. Creating and Adapting Themes and Messages
      1. Developing Case Specific Themes
      2. Adapting Standard Themes
      3. Thematic Anchoring
    3. Structuring Power Themes
      1. Psychological Principle of Structuring
      2. Psychological Tools of Structure
        1. Primacy
        2. Thematic Anchoring
          1. Anchoring Through Repetition
          2. Anchoring Technique
          3. Collapsing an Anchor
          4. Anchor Recalls Entire Experience
        3. Neurolinguistic Programming – Pacing
          1. Pacing to Create Similarities
          2. Matching and Mismatching
          3. Pacing at all Levels
          4. Pacing in the Primary Representational System
        4. Embedded Commands
          1. Communicate a Command to the Unconscious Mind
          2. Preface, Pause, Voice Change and Command
        5. The Zeigarnik Effect
        6. Recency
      3. Rhetorical Tools of Structure
        1. Triad
        2. Parallel Structure
        3. Antithesis
        4. Repetition
          1. Repetition At The Beginning
          2. Refrain
          3. Echo Effect
          4. Augmentative Repetition
          5. Repetition of the Central Theme
        5. Thematic Reversal
        6. Rhetorical Question
        7. Alliteration
        8. Understatement
        9. Grammatical Inversion
        10. Rhythm
      4. Verbal Tools of Structure
        1. Power Word Choices
          1. Abstract vs. Concrete
            1. Simulative Concrete Words
            2. Deliberative Abstract Terms
            3. Preloaded Word Selection and Avoidance
          2. Catch Phrases
          3. Emotive Words
          4. Logical vs. Emotional Words
          5. Short, Long, Old & New Words
          6. Bilingual: Technical & Lay
          7. Use of Jargon
          8. Slang
          9. Vernacular or Colloquialism
          10. Language of the Case
        2. Analogies
        3. Metaphors
        4. Similes
        5. Establish Sense of Humor
        6. Anecdotes
        7. Quotes
          1. Prose
          2. Poetry
          3. Biblical Quotes & Parables
          4. Song Lyrics
          5. Literature
          6. Witnesses/Parties
          7. Medical Quotations
        8. Adapting Standard Arguments
          1. Pain and Suffering
            1. Measuring physical pain and suffering
            2. Constitutional right to be free from pain.
            3. Pain is life’s window into hell.
            4. Job ad – catastrophic injury
            5. Minimum wage
          2. Value of Human Life:
          3. Full Justice:
    1. Persuasive Communication of Power Themes and Messages
      1. Communicating on Multiple Levels
        1. Non Verbal Communication
          1. The Importance of the Pause
          2. Pacing the Jury
          3. Movements and Gestures
          4. Touching the Client
          5. Dressing for Summation
        2. Mood Transference
          1. Transferring a Feeling
          2. Transferring Factual Information
          3. Transferring Visual Information
      2. Voir Dire – Goals of Jury Selection
        1. Obtain Information
        2. Create Rapport
        3. Begin the Persuasive Process.
        4. Inoculate Against Weaknesses.
        5. Introduce Case Themes
        6. Empower Jurors
        7. Create Visual Images
        8. Listen to the Jury
        9. No Such Thing As a Stupid Question
        10. Avoid Legalese
        11. Do Not Ignore Anyone On the Panel
        12. Ask Open-Ended Questions
        13. Use Juror Questionnaire
      3. Effective Storytelling Throughout Trial
    1. Models of Eloquent Speeches
      1. Day of Infamy by Franklin D. Roosevelt – Delivered in 1941
      2. Address of Martin Luther King, Jr.
      3. Kennedy Inaugural Address
      4. General Douglas MacArthur’s Speech to Congress
    1. Sample Summations
      1. Marvin Lewis
      2. Moe Levine
      3. Howard L. Nations
      4. Howard L. Nations
        Sample Opening Statement: Howard L. Nations

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