Bridging the Gap Between Classic Rhetoric and Modern Advocacy.
While it’s true that the quote, "Let’s kill all the lawyers," came from the stroke of Shakespeare’s pen in Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2, there are many things that we, as lawyers, can learn from the Bard.
Remarkably, the lawyer who stands before a jury finds himself in the very same position as that of a Shakespearean actor: he or she must rely exclusively on their words, their voice, and their bodies—including their gestures and their mannerisms—to tell the story.
It should come as no surprise that audiences back in Shakespeare’s day had a sharp ear for listening. However, in today’s age of smartphones, electronic devices, and short attention spans, everything about progress has taken us further and further away from being expressive with our words. Look no further than hashtags, emojis, and text messages with abbreviated words that we need our kids to help us decipher.
In the twenty-first century, we face the challenge of marrying the Elizabethan tradition with our modern tradition. In marrying these two traditions, this presentation will extend beyond the Bard and explore those techniques used by great wordsmiths—from songwriters to storytellers and orators—whose voices and words resonate with truth.
Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride!
Trial, entertainment law and U.S. international tax law
Michael is a partner in the boutique law firm of DeBlis Law where he specializes in tax compliance and entertainment law. Michael graduated from Western Michigan University School of Law in 2007 and later went on to earn his Masters of Law in taxation (LL.M.) from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2012. As a former public defender, Michael has spent nearly eight years cutting his teeth on some of the most serious felony cases to pass through the state courts of New Jersey. Michael’s unique background in tax law puts him into an elite category of criminal defense attorneys who specialize in criminal tax defense. His extensive trial experience and solid grounding in all major areas of federal taxation make him uniquely qualified to handle any white-collar case, no matter how sophisticated it might be. Michael is known for his creativity, his charismatic personality, and his unyielding dedication to his clients. As a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College, Michael has trained under some of the best known criminal defense attorneys in the country. That experience has taught him that justice for a person accused of a crime is only won through a full understanding of the client and the case. To that end, Michael attempts to understand each client’s case as a convincing narrative, not just as a set of innocuous facts and arcane legal rules. When he's not in the courtroom, you can find Michael on stage. As a professionally trained actor, Michael's passionate about helping trial lawyers harness the power of persuasion and positive communication in the courtroom in order to connect to the jury on a human level. Michael's training as an actor allows him to combine a unique blend of left-brain thinking with right brain artistry to make even the most dull and abstract areas of the law come to life. This burst of creativity has contributed to Michael's success as a distinguished author and sought-out speaker. Michael has written articles that have been published in leading tax journals, such as "CCH Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure," "EA Journal," "Global Tax Weekly," and "ABA News Quarterly" and is a columnist for "Law360." He has been featured on the media affiliates of several major media networks, including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and CNN. Michael is a living example of the tremendous power that comes from combining passion, preparation, persuasion, and positive communication in the courtroom. His courage and relentless work ethic have earned him a reputation as a zealous advocate and one of New Jersey's rising stars of the legal profession.
