Kathryn Kellner / Sessions / Operative Words

Signature session · The instrument

Operative Words

The instrument that delivers your case. The most physical of the sessions, and the one attendees report using the next morning.

Operative words are "the word or words in a sentence chosen for emphasis". Every advocate lands on some of them. Most do it by accident, and under pressure the choice gets made for them.

Law school teaches the law. It does not teach the instrument that carries it into a room: breath, voice, body, and focus. This session treats those as tools an advocate can name, choose, and repeat under pressure. The same discipline performing artists train for years, made immediately usable by professionals.

Attendees will be able to

  1. Choose the operative words in a sentence deliberately, and land them.
  2. Use breath to hold a steady voice under pressure.
  3. Choose a stance and a focus deliberately instead of defaulting under stress.
  4. Name what a body is communicating before a word is spoken.
Best fit: litigators, executives, and every professional the room watches; new-attorney programs; firm retreats, leadership programs, and conference general sessions. Formats: 60 or 90 minutes; half day recommended for practice time. Materials: written materials supplied in advance to support the host's accreditation requirements.
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