Acting for Lawyers: Connecting to the Jury & Finding Justice Through Dramatic Technique

What if the most powerful trial skill isn’t legal knowledge—but presence?

In Acting for Lawyers, trial attorney and trained actor Michael DeBlis III, Esq. reveals how the core tools of professional actors—embodiment, voice, intention, listening, and emotional truth—can dramatically elevate courtroom advocacy.

Drawing from years as a public defender handling high-stakes felony trials and formal training in acting and performance psychology, DeBlis bridges the gap between legal analysis and human connection. This book is not about theatrics or putting on a show. It is about truthful performance—showing up with credibility, authenticity, and command when it matters most.

Trial lawyers already understand the law. What often separates persuasive advocates from forgettable ones is how they inhabit the courtroom.

This book shows you how.

Inside, you’ll learn how to:

• Use acting principles to enhance credibility without sounding rehearsed

• Harness body language, movement, and stillness to project authority and confidence

• Develop vocal control and emotional range to keep judges and juries engaged

• Stay fully present under pressure through listening-based advocacy

• Avoid “over-acting” while still delivering compelling openings, examinations, and arguments

• Access authentic emotion without manipulation or performance gimmicks

  
  

Rather than scripts or canned techniques, Acting for Lawyers provides a practical framework for embodied advocacy—helping lawyers align their words, voice, and physical presence so that jurors don’t just hear the argument, they feel it.

Who this book is for:

• Trial lawyers and litigators at any stage of practice

• Criminal defense and civil trial attorneys

• Law students preparing for trial advocacy or moot court

• Attorneys seeking to improve courtroom presence, confidence, and persuasion

  
  

If you’ve ever felt that your arguments were solid—but your delivery didn’t land the way you intended—this book will change how you think about advocacy forever.

Because in the courtroom, credibility is not just argued. It is performed.