Lawyers all know how to tell stories. Hahahah! Nope.

People, including lawyers, blithely assume that lawyers somehow automatically know how to tell "the best story," which John Adams said wins cases. The reality is otherwise. Lawyers are taught to TELL stories, but not taught what a story is, how to find one, shape one or use one throughout a case to drive cohesive strategy, connect across borders, and foster empathy, trust and connection - or even tell one persuasively.

As a law student back in the early '80s, the closest I ever came to learning how to tell a story was in our legal writing class when we were tasked with drafting a demand letter on behalf of a doctor who walked out of a restaurant with a half-full bottle of wine (....another story for another time). The doctor had been sued by a hapless resident in a nearby neighborhood who had crossed the road through which the doctor unsteadily navigated his car home, and accidentally smacked into the walker. Really, we were being asked to take a set of facts and lay them out in a format which most favored our client and was positioned to persuade doubters.

Nobody bothered to tell us what a story is nor why it was important to tell one. Nobody talked with us about a dramatic arc (critically important), why it might be important, and how to create one. Nobody explained the difference between an anecdote, a laundry list of complaints, a comedy routine, a boring rant, a lie (yes, the word "story" is sometimes used to designate a lie: "he told us one heck of a story, that kid!") or any other myriad definitions of "story". (See storied definition below!")

And, btw, nobody told us how to then incorporate that particular story throughout our case to ensure consistency in discovery, motion practice, trial and appellate work so that our clients became demonstrably credible and believable, and worthy of victory.

That is why, after 35+ years of practicing law - private, public, as advocate, as general counsel and even as sister - and 7 years of teaching communication, specifically storytelling skills to college students, and 4 years of crafting phone apps and chatbots to help users find and tell better stories - I have finally focused specifically on how lawyers can most effectively, ethically and efficiently use storytelling as an overarching and yet highly specific tool to optimize their clients' results.

Tell the right KIND of story, in the right SHAPE, and according to established neuroscience principles, with the assistance of technology, and you will win your cases. I've arrived at my sweet spot, counselors: I can teach you how to find, craft and tell the best stories at the best times in the best format, to win cases by generating trust, empathy and connection across borders, cultures and conflict.

Interested? Sign up for our free introductory workshop on the power of storytelling across your law practice. Learn real skills, in real time, with real results. This is we love to do at STORYBAR. Join us, storytellers and storytelling-curious for an hour of illumination and real learning, on _______