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Basics of Advocacy

This course has been specifically designed for lawyers practicing before domestic jurisdictions, or young professionals who would like to acquire the required competencies and skills to practice law before international courts, in particular the International Criminal Court. The training consists of a blend of legal, procedural and advocacy exercises, delivered by experienced practitioners before international courts

 

One of the courses focusses is the opening speech, which is an early opportunity to describe the case on advocate’s own terms—i.e. without interruption—to the judges. In an opening statement, the advocate lays out what the evidence in the case is. The advocate paints a mental image of what happened, where, how, why, to whom.

  

The highly visible nature of international work will mean that the opening statements are likely closely followed in the affected country, and by international media. Due to advances in technology, a live feed of the opening statement may be able to be viewed by thousands on the Internet. Not only must the advocate think of the judges and the Defence, they must consider the effect their words have on the public.

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