Everything communicates something.

When I was in grad school, my thesis project involved studying the impact that nonverbal communication has in the courtroom. Everything I observed firsthand in the courtroom and later talked to jurors about revealed that nonverbal factors in the courtroom have an enormous impact on the outcome of a case, almost as much as the words spoken and the evidence presented. The demeanor and dress of the attorneys and the parties in the case “speak” first and most often. Does he look guilty or innocent? How fast does she talk? What do his eyes do when he answers a question? Is the defendant’s suit nice…but not too nice? How does the attorney look at the judge? Does it look like they played 18 holes together yesterday? I later practiced law and, from what I experienced and from what more experienced attorneys told me, jurors are like communication sponges…

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