Speaking to a packed ceremonial courtroom, trial lawyer Monique Pressley delivered as the Trial Advocacy Program’s sixth Great Legal Storyteller on February 2, 2017.
A frequent television legal analyst, commentator, and former trial counsel for Bill Cosby, Pressley spoke on dealing with the media in high profile cases.
Included in her presentation was her important message to the students that they not remain silent in the face of troubling world events that matter – that in times like these it is incumbent upon all of us, as legal storytellers, to shout our histories and promote fairness, justice, and inclusion.
“Ms. Pressley gave an amazing lecture on what it means to be a media lawyer – an advocate, analyst, and social engineer,” 3L and Trial Team member Megan Roth posted on Instagram. “’There are no islands in this business,’” wrote Roth, recalling Pressley’s message further. “‘In this season, we must work together.’”
Following her main presentation, Pressley gave a private workshop to our Trial Team and Trial Advocacy students on the courtroom skill of opening statement.
All told, “today was up there with the best days of my life,” she later tweeted.
“Monique Pressley was entertaining and enlightening, weaving a compelling story about lawyers as advocates in high profile cases, analysts in the media, and, critically, social engineers in the community,” said Professor H.T. Smith, Director of the Trial Advocacy Program. “Ms. Pressley challenged our students to stay focused on what is best for the client each and every time they deal with the press — extremely valuable information for our student/trial lawyers-in-residence who will be practicing in a legal environment that is saturated by media.”
Plans by Professors H.T. Smith and H. Scott Fingerhut are already underway for February 1, 2018, and Great Legal Storytellers 7.
