Abstract
My study exammes the concept of lawyer style and attempts to answer the question: How important are stylistic elements of a lawyer's presentation in determining a trial's verdict? To begin, I examine literature that explores the effects of factors such as race, sex, and experience on a lawyer's overall presentation in court and effect on juries. Next, I examine sociological theory that is relevant to my topic; specifically the work of symbolic interactionists including Mead, Cooley, and Goffman. To collect data, I interviewed attorneys on their experiences with trial style. Finally, my data led me to several conclusions. First, style is made up of a number of different factors, all playing important and separate roles. Second, lawyers are perfectly suited to use style, because they act in front of an audience that is particularly vulnerable to methods of impression management. Last, style does appear to play a role in the outcome of trials, although some lawyers think it is more important than do others.
Advisor
Nurse, Anne M.
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Domer-Shank, Reed, "Artisans of Impression: An Examination of the Impact of Lawyer Image" (2005). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 4403.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/4403
Publication Date
2005
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2005 Reed Domer-Shank