Life Lessons from the Courtroom

As part of my job, I get to go to hearings a few times a week. The first few times, I was mostly just overwhelmed at the sheer amount of things I'm going to be expected to remember. Then, once it started to feel more familiar, I started paying attention to the behavior of the attorneys and witnesses. What started off as a list of 'What To Do/What Not To Do' became a list of more generally applicable Dos and Don'ts. Who knew life and courtrooms had that much in common?

So without further ado....

  1. Be still and listen.
  2. People try to help you more often than you think. If you're not careful, you might miss it.
  3. Being the loudest doesn't make you the most powerful (or the most effective).
  4. Be the river, not the stone.
  5. Know before you speak. If you don't, at least think before you speak. If you can't, don't speak.
  6. Don't get ruffled by the whispers.
  7. Pick your battles. Not everything is a war.

14 comments:

  1. I love that these tips work for the courtroom and in life. #1 is my favorite!

    xo Jen
    Skirt The Rules

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  2. Must be an interesting experience to witness all the court room dramas

    http://www.pixics.com/

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    1. It definitely is! It's definitely a lot more wacky than I'd thought it'd be!

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  3. I think some of these apply to my job (and obviously everyday life as you said). Very good things to remember! Thanks for sharing :)

    Laura

    Laura Aime Vous

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    1. Thanks for reading! These are definitely things I'm trying to keep in mind more, too!

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  4. These tips are very interesting, I love the one: be the river not the stone.

    http://www.mintnotion.com

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  5. Such a cool thing you get to take out of being in the courtroom, I have always, always agreed with number 3 (so many people overlook this).

    Raashi
    raashiagarwal.blogspot.com.au

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    1. Agreed. Sometimes it amazes me that people still think yelling the loudest works!

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  6. great post

    http://carrieslifestyle.com
    Posts online about Rio, Amalfi, Amsterdam....

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