The more things change…

Mark Bennett, a Texan criminal defence attorney, practices a very different sort of law to us. In fact, we’re probably as far apart as it’s possible to be while still all being engaged in litigation.

But some things are universal. Writing about what prosecutors do right, Mark points out the value of being polite.

But trial lawyers, students of human nature, know that rudeness is the weak person’s imitation of strength; the lawyer who is rude in court is seen as easier pickings than the lawyer with the self-assurance to treat others courteously. If a lawyer’s object is to settle reasonably those cases that can be settled, and try the rest, she’s much more likely to succeed with courtesy than with rudeness. I’ll gladly try a case against Antira Jones — I don’t expect it to be unpleasant — but I’m not looking for chances to do so.

This is just as true in Croydon Employment Tribunal as it is in a Houston Criminal Court. Polite and calm suggests confidence; rude and mindlessly aggressive does not.