This month I have been asked to participate in a series of public speaking opportunities through the firm.  It is important for me to participate in public speaking in order to develop my communication skills.  Communication skills are of vital importance to solicitors in all aspects of the role.

The first opportunity I had was to conduct a seminar alongside the Managing Director of the firm for the in-house legal team of one of our clients.  The thought of this was quite daunting for me initially as the audience were clearly going to be knowledgeable and inquisitive.  I therefore ensured that I looked into my given topics as thoroughly as possible to make sure that what I was saying was informative and relevant.

In preparing, I made sure that I had detailed notes to refer to as I did not want to miss something important out.  In hindsight, it may have been preferable for me to condense my notes and talk around the subject more to ensure that I was engaging with the audience more.  Despite my nerves, I think my first seminar was received well.   I do feel there are a number of areas which I can improve upon but I am sure these will develop with exposure and experience.

This week I have been asked to give a lecture to the new first generation scholars at the University of Sussex through the firm’s Charitable Trust.  This is an entirely different scenario and audience so I will have to adapt my approach accordingly and perhaps be less formal.  I will try not to have such detailed notes at this next talk and instead have some prompts which I can talk around.  Wish me luck!

Until next month,

Kimberley