what does presentation mean in law

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1) A demand for payment of a promissory note when it is due. The Uniform Commercial Code § 3-501 defines Presentment as: “a demand made by or on behalf of a person entitled to enforce an instrument (i) to pay the instrument made to the drawee or a party obliged to pay the instrument or, in the case of a note or accepted draft payable at a bank, to the bank, or (ii) to accept a draft made to the drawee.”

2) A formal written accusation to a court by a grand jury , made on its own initiative without a request or presentation of evidence by the local prosecutor. For example, in the 2013 Florida case State v. Womack , the District Court of Appeal held that each comment made by the grand jury in a presentment, which alleged wrongdoing by public officials, with a factual foundation that was germane to the scope of the inquiry was necessarily proper and in turn could not be repressed or expunged.

[Last updated in November of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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Mastering the Art of Legal Presentations: Essential Tips and Tricks

Navigating through law school and legal careers, budding attorneys realize that mastering the art of presentation is as crucial as knowing the letter of the law. Whether it's arguing a mock trial, presenting a case in court, or persuading peers during a seminar, effective presentation skills can set you apart in the competitive field of law. This Q&A post delves into some of the most commonly asked questions about law presentations and offers presentation hacks aimed at making you a more compelling legal communicator.

Do Presentation Skills Really Matter for Lawyers?

Absolutely! In the legal profession, presenting ideas and arguments clearly and persuasively is critical to success. The American Bar Association emphasizes the importance of honing presentation skills from law school onwards; being persuasive and articulate is a part of your toolkit as an attorney.

What Are Some Effective Presentation Hacks for Legal Professionals?

Start With a Clear Message : Know the core message of your presentation and keep it concise. A clear thesis helps you stay on track and makes your argument more digestible for your audience.

Understand Your Audience : Gauge the level of understanding your audience has about the topic. Presenting to peers might require a different approach than speaking to a jury or a judge.

Use Storytelling : A legal case is essentially a story with a problem and a resolution. Tapping into the power of storytelling can make your presentation more engaging and memorable.

Practice, Practice, Practice : Rehearse your presentation multiple times. This helps reduce nervousness and ensures you're comfortable with the material.

Seek Feedback : Before your presentation, practice in front of colleagues or mentors and ask for constructive criticism to sharpen your delivery.

How Can I Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety Before a Legal Presentation?

Facing a courtroom or an auditorium can be intimidating, but there are strategies to combat this anxiety. Preparing thoroughly is a start; being familiar with every aspect of your presentation can alleviate fear. Additionally, techniques like deep breathing, visualization, and positive self-talk can be beneficial. Moreover, watching inspiring TED Talks on public speaking can provide valuable insights into overcoming fears and delivering impactful messages.

For those looking for a comprehensive solution to enhance their presentation skills, we suggest exploring various features of presentation-focused tools and platforms. While not a substitute for personal practice, these tools can offer unique insights and aid in your delivery. For instance, the features section on College Tools may provide some interesting avenues to explore.

What Role Does Body Language Play in Legal Presentations?

Your physical presence can be as compelling as the words you speak. A poised stance, eye contact, and intentional gestures can convey confidence and help underscore your points. Posture and movement can non-verbally communicate passion for your subject matter and connect with your audience on a more profound level.

Can Technology Help in Improving my Presentations?

Definitely! Technology and AI-powered tools can assist in fine-tuning your presentations. They can help in organizing content, providing cues, and even analyzing your pace and tone. Embracing technology can also make your presentations more dynamic, engaging audiences with multimedia elements that might not be possible with traditional methods.

How Important Is the Quality of Visual Aids in Legal Presentations?

Visual aids should not distract from the message but rather support it. High-quality, pertinent visuals can reinforce your argument or help to clarify complex concepts. Carefully consider your choice of visuals, whether they're diagrams, timelines, or other graphical elements; they should be professionally rendered and easy to understand.

Becoming an effective legal presenter takes time, practice, and a willingness to learn from each experience. Employing the right presentation hacks , understanding the significance of effective communication , and continuing to build upon public speaking skills will prove invaluable throughout your legal career. Strive for clarity, conciseness, and connection with your audience, and you'll be better equipped to make your case, inside and outside the courtroom.

Conclusion: Strong presentation skills are a foundational element of a successful legal career. This Q&A has addressed critical aspects of delivering compelling legal presentations, offering insights and hacks to help you polish your communication prowess. Remember, the journey to becoming an articulate legal professional is ongoing; continue learning, practicing, and adapting to become the best presenter you can be.

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Home » Thought Leadership » 5 TIPS FOR A GREAT TRIAL PRESENTATION

• July 6, 2021

5 TIPS FOR A GREAT TRIAL PRESENTATION

When you enter a courtroom, you want to believe that the person with the best argument will walk away with a verdict on their side. Although this is generally true, a great trial presentation can help sway the outcome of a case. There are a plethora of psychological studies that demonstrate that people think in pictures. So what does that mean for your trial presentation?Most importantly, it means that people will conjure up their own images unless you can provide one for them. It’s important for jurors to come away with the same information, even when your presentation has been filtered through personal beliefs and biases. Modern television has also influenced the way jurors think about the court system, and many come into court expecting photographic evidence and 3D recreations. Of course, each case is different, but the following tips can help you present compelling visual evidence at trial:

1. Be the person who does the simplification

Don’t give your audience room to draw incorrect conclusions. Although you can leave some room for interpretation when necessary, especially when you are legally unable to spell things out for the jurors, it’s still important that you are the person who connects the dots for your audience. This ensures that everyone is on the same page, and can help bring people together in agreement with you when the jury retires for deliberation.

2. Reinforce specific themes

There will be places in your presentation where you have the opportunity to make important points through your use of titles. Slide and presentation titles are much more interesting when they pose a question, make a statement, or reinforce a theme.  For example, “Timeline” and “Personal History” are weak titles and underutilize one of your best opportunity for imprinting themes and posing questions. Instead, consider using a title such as “What Were John Doe’s Motivations?”, which poses a question that your audience knows you will answer. Luckily, because titles are easy to change, you’ll be able to swap things out on the fly, even if a judge objects to a title you’ve chosen.

3. Enhance your presentation by cutting the copy

Keep your bullet points short and your slides sparse. Although visual impact is an important part of your overall presentation, you should have minimal words on the page. You don’t want your audience to be distracted as they try to read ahead or catch up. Don’t read verbatim from the slides. When you keep your sentences short and simple, you also remove the temptation for yourself!

4. Assume a short attention span

Plan to lose everyone’s attention. Of course, ideally your audience would be rapt the whole time and hanging on your every point. However, it’s best to assume that you need descriptive graphics to keep people tuned in. Graphs, 3D animation, photos, sketches and other visual elements, are much more interesting than plain text.

5. Play to your audience

Finally, you should always try to play to your audience. Consider who they are, and their interests, beliefs and biases. Craft your argument with a specific type of person in mind. The jury is not made up of blank slates. You must consider what kind of evidence your audience can grasp, and provide visual images and contexts familiar to them.

When your presentation is well practiced and well structured, you’ll deliver a common visual experience for those in the courtroom. When you control the visuals, you can guide and shape the narrative to better bolster your own case. Visuals also enhance the ability of your jury to retain case facts and essential information. A great trial presentation can turn the tide of a case by crafting an overarching story that is most beneficial to your client.

For more information on trial presentations, or for help creating some of the compelling visuals we’ve discussed above, reach out to our Trial Presentation department at (800) 889-0111.

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15 skills for effective presentations in court.

Representing yourself requires a certain skill set. We’re providing you with a set of 15 skills that you need to be persuasive in presenting your case. Keep these in the back of your mind throughout the process and you’ll be ready to rock the courtroom.

Part of the benefit of working with The Family Law Coach is that we can provide you with the assistance you need to gain these skills before and during the process. When you’ve gone through this list, check out the Services offered by The Family Law Coach to see how we can help you help yourself.

Skill 1. Telling the judge why you’re in court, and what you want, in just one or two sentences.

Many self-reps feel that finally being in front of a judge gives them the chance to “tell my story” and get a whole lot of grievances and complaints off their chest. They want to vent about all of the injustices and wrongs done to them and how bad the other party is. The judge may look interested, but is this effective? No.

Just because a judge is being patient, and waiting until you get to the point, doesn’t mean he or she is agreeing with you. They’re working hard to pull out the relevant details to help them make a decision. The harder the judge has to concentrate to get the information he or she needs, the more difficult it is to make a decision in your favour.

You need to be concise and practice the skill to put your complaints aside and deal with only 2 questions: Why are you here? What result do you want?

Make sure to take the time to rehearse the answers to each question so you can state your position in a loud and intelligible voice. Here are some concrete examples.

“Judge, I’m here to change the access arrangements from the existing order to the terms set out in the schedule attached to my notice of motion. Essentially I’m asking for a more flexible arrangement than the one now in place.”

“Your Honour, I’m here because In lost my job 6 months ago and the best new job I could get pays less than what I was earning when I agreed to child support of $879 per month. I need an order for reduced support payments, but my former wife won’t agree.”

“Judge, my former wife is asking that she be allowed to move to a different city because she’s planning to marry her boyfriend who lives there. But that will have a disastrous effect on the time the children and I have together and the nature of our time together, and I’m opposing her request for that reason.”

“Your Honour, my former partner has been interfering with my access to our children by making last minute changes in arrangements to suit her/his convenience without consulting me, cancelling visits unilaterally, and generally refusing to comply with the terms of our access order. I’m asking that she/he be found in contempt and that the order require that the terms be complied with or the residential arrangements for the children are to be changed to me.”

In each case it took only 2 sentences to give the court a good idea of what the matter is about, both side’s positions, and your suggested solution.

This is called the Tim Horton’s Pitch: what you tell the person in line for morning coffee when they ask what you’re doing today so you can be finished before it’s their turn to order.

But more than simply being brief, it shows that you respect the system and the court’s time by being clear and to the point. So long as what you say is truthful and supported by the evidence, it shows that you’re a trustworthy person to whom the judge should pay attention. It’s a terrific way to be effective.

Skill 2. Practice, practice, practice

It’s not easy to get the reason you’re in court into just a few, clear, sentences. It takes practice. Thinking that you can ad lib this when the judge looks at you to speak is a big mistake. Good lawyers take lots of time to get their case into the important first few sentences. They try doing it different ways. And they practice saying it out loud.

Some of us convince ourselves that we know our case so well that we don’t need to practice anything. Others convince ourselves that our matter is so complex and involves so many details that we can’t get it into a couple of sentences. We think the judge needs to hear everything in order to understand what the case is about. And some of us convince ourselves we’re just no good at talking on our feet and we won’t be able to tell the court what we want it to know.

That sort of thinking creates mental blocks that hold us back. One trick to overcoming this is practice.

Write down what you want to say. Read it over and change it to what the judge needs to know. Try different ways to present your case to see what works best for you. Then shorten it until you get what the judge needs to know into 2 -3 sentences.

Write down whatever you want to say in point form. Make each point only one or two sentences. Re-arrange the points into a logical sequence. Look at what you’ve written for each point and see if it can be shortened. Then practice saying it out loud in front of a mirror or to someone you trust and can give you feedback.

The more you practice the easier it will be to tell the judge, and the more comfortable you’ll be in court. Pro athletes practice before every game. So should you.

Skill 3. Avoid the nasty

Personal attacks hurt your case. You may be tempted to put negative things about the other party in your material or presentation, but you need to be able to resist that temptation.

Spending time to complain about the other person and all the nasty things that they did hurts your case. If it’s not relevant, you’re wasting the judge’s time and making it harder for him or her to understand the important information. If you turn off the judge with your whining and complaining, he or she might miss hearing the important things you have to say.

If, however, the conduct of the other party is really relevant to the issue, make it clear why the information is important to the judge’s decision. For example, if the behaviour shows that the other party says inappropriate things front of the children, or if he or she acts without judgement.

Making things relevant to the issues the judge has to decide, instead of leaving them as a personal attack on the other person, makes your comments far more powerful and effective. Judges don’t like hearing negative personal attacks.

Skill 4. Writing in an clear and logical way

Much of the key work in creating an effective case is done before you stand up to speak. It’s in the written material the judge reads in the file. What you write and how you write it is the first step in showing the judge why the court should give you what you want.

Are you able to set out your story, what you want, and why you should get it, in a clear and understandable way? You need to be able to organize what you need to say in a way that makes sense to the judge. Just like what you say to the judge when you’re speaking, what you say to the judge in your writing needs to be clear and easy to understand.

The key to good legal writing is re-writing. Go over what you’ve written and then ask yourself: “If a stranger didn’t know anything about my case would they get a good idea of what it’s about and why they should agree with me, or would they find parts of what I’ve written confusing? Will they get my point? Is what I’ve written difficult to read or easy?”

Then start over and re-write everything. Show it to someone. Ask them to help you be more clear and focussed. Remember why you’re writing the document – it’s not to get everything of your chest, it’s to give the judge the information he or she needs to understand what you’re asking for and to encourage them to give it to you.

If you can do this, you’ll find your written material to be a really effective way of getting a judge to want to help you, even before your case is called.

Skill 5. Gathering the relevant information and staying on top of the materials you need

You may have to gather information as part of your case. You may need to get correct bank statements to show what money was in different bank accounts, or account statements to show the value of investments or RRSPs, at key dates. You may need copies of Insurance policies or property ownership papers, or tax and utility bills. Perhaps you’ll need information from your employer or doctor.

They key to gathering information effectively is to create a list and check it off as it’s collected. Keep it in one place and keep it organized and you’ll be good to go.

Skill 6. Being Organized

It’s important to be able to organize your material. Do you have the various exhibits and supporting material you need to support your story? Can you collect the documents and evidence you need to support your position? Can you put your material into a sensible and organized structure?

If you can do this, great. If that’s not what you do well, ask a friend or family member to help you organizing everything. Taking the time to organize your materials helps you to organize your case and present it to the judge in an effective way.

Skill 7. Being a good researcher

In some cases a bit of research is needed to collect the information and evidence that supports your story. You may also need to gather legal information. Will you be able to do your own research? Do you know how to do it?

Skill 8. Being on time and knowing how to wait

Court matters are filled with deadlines. Are you able to get your papers filed on time and show up in court when scheduled?

Do you have the time to get to the court office and to get the information you need? Are you able to explain what you want and do you have the patience, if needed, to go from one court office to another until you get it?

If you’re late submitting documents or in showing up to court, this could have a very serious impact on your outcome.

It’s not uncommon for a self-rep to find that they’ve gone to the wrong counter or wrong office are in the wrong line or have the wrong papers with them. It’s important that you recognize this at the beginning, give yourself lots of time and have patience.

And patience is an important thing to bring with you whenever you have to deal with the court offices. Often the lines are long. Give yourself lots of time. The family court process is going to have a long-term impact on your life and it’s worth taking extra time so you can avoid being late.

Skill 9. Paying attention to detail

Are you able to pay attention to detail? For example, before beginning to fill in a blank on a form do you read the instructions to be sure you’re filling it out properly? Have you attached all the documents you refer to in your materials? When you refer to a section of some legislation, have you checked to be sure you’ve got the right number and reference?

If you’re missing any details or fill out a form wrong, it will be harder for the judge to rule in your favour. So it helps your case if you’ve been careful about everything before you file it with the court office.

Skill 10. Understanding the appropriate Guidelines that affect your case

Have you looked at the Child Support Guidelines or the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines to be sure that what you’re saying about them is accurate? Have you checked out the sections you’ll be referring to and do you understand them?

There are guides available for each the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines and the Child Support Guidelines. Read and understand them. It will help you be effective in presenting your case.

Skill 11. Distancing yourself

There’s a phrase in legal circles: “A lawyer who acts for himself has a fool for a client.” It means that the best person to represent you is someone who isn’t emotionally connected to your case. As a self-rep, you’re acting for yourself, so of course you’re emotionally connected.

So the skill here is to be as objective and realistic as possible. Be practical and rational instead of emotional. You can only be effective if you’re not all worked up about the case. This isn’t easy. But it’s important. Can you do it?

Try to look at the case from the perspective of a person who doesn’t know you and doesn’t know the other party.

Acting rationally includes recognizing the weak parts of your case and dropping them. This will help you maintain realistic expectations and help you focus your presentation. Think about what stranger would need to know to give you what you want, and if that person would think you deserve it.

You need to be objective about the case and your positions.

Skill 12. Knowing your motivation and remove the destructive elements from your position

Are you motivated to fight so that the other person doesn’t “win,” or get an “easy victory”? Are you motivated by jealousy or revenge? Do you want to punish the other person for what they did to you or your family? Tough. Those aren’t reasons to fight in court and won’t get you anywhere. Do you have the skill to remove these factors from your thinking?

Knowing why you’re really taking your positions will help you shape a more effective presentation. If your positions are motivated by one of the factors mentioned above – re-think your approach. At least, re-frame it so that you can present a more positive position that will get you the results you want.

Skill 13. Separating money issues from the kids

Do you have the skill to consider what’s best for the kids even if that means getting less money, or paying more money, than you wanted?

Not everyone is able to admit when continuing the fight will be harmful to the children. Can you put their interests ahead of yours?

Very often that’s what the case comes down to, and you’ll do better if you recognize this before a judge does.

Skill 14. Standing up to a bully

Are you able to stake out a reasonable position and stick to it despite threats and bullying from the other party? First, you have to recognize when you’re dealing with a bully. A bully is someone who uses:

• manipulation
• personal attacks

You may have given in lots of times in the past to keep things together, but do you have the skill now to say enough is enough? A bully knows what sort of tactics worked well in the past and will try to use them against you in court. Can you stand your ground now? That doesn’t mean you need to retaliate. It means maintaining your position and clearly stating that position to the judge.

The interesting thing about bullies is that they get away with their conduct so often that they assume you’ll give in again. If you stand up to a bully, a judge can usually see what’s happening and put that bully in their place.

Often, standing up to a bully starts with just saying “No. Enough. I’m not giving in again.”

Skill 15. Knowing what you’re good at

The truth is that not everyone is terrific at each of these things. Not even lawyers. The trick is to recognize which skills you have and are good at and which ones you need to work on. Keep in mind that that all of us can use some help from time to time and don’t hesitate to ask for it. You may have a family member or a friend who is better at one of these skills than you. See if they’ll help you out. If they can’t, maybe they know someone who can.

Use your strengths as best you can and don’t pretend to be good at something you’re not. Get the help you need so you can present your case as effectively and persuasively as possible.

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If you need help with one of the skills listed above, it’s a smart move to get some assistance – to seek out someone to offer coaching about how to handle yourself, or to get advice about strategy, or some help with preparing the documents you need, or to give you the legal advice you’re missing.

If you can’t afford, or don’t want, to hire a lawyer to take over your case in the traditional full retainer model, then seeking out fixed fee services, also known as “unbundled services” could be the solution you need.

With unbundled services, a lawyer will agree to help you with part of your matter but not take over all of your case. It might be to prepare documents for you or to appear in court for you. Or it might be to spend time with you going over your documents and discussing strategy.

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What is a Trial Presentation? Everything You Need to Know

by Carolina Barbalace | Jul 31, 2023 | Present in Court | 0 comments

Attorneys go to court ready with a trial presentation. So should you. 

You may be asking yourself, what is a trial presentation?

A trial presentation is a visual and legal aid designed to present your evidence, argument, and legal analysis in a way that is easy for the judge to follow and understand. 

Why is it important to use a Trial Presentation?

Make your case stronger: .

You want to be as persuasive as possible when you’re in court. A trial presentation helps you present your evidence in a way that’s easy for the judge to understand and see the strength of your case.

Preparing a Trial Presentation not only helps you present your evidence effectively but also assists you in organizing your thoughts and arguments. With a well-structured outline and identified key points, you can ensure that you cover all the important information in a logical and easy-to-follow way.

Show the Judge You’re Credible:  

When you’re in court, it’s important to come across as credible and prepared. With a trial presentation, you can showcase your evidence professionally and organized. The judge will see that you’ve made the effort to build a strong case and deserve their serious attention. It also demonstrates that you value the judge’s time and are conscientious.

Also, a trial presentation can make the judge more engaged and focused. By using visual aids, such as graphs, charts, and photographs, you can capture the judge’s attention and help them to better understand your argument. These visuals bring your case to life and make it easier for the judge to follow along.

What should be included in a Trial Presentation?

Opening statement:.

The beginning of your trial presentation is crucial. It all starts with an opening statement that sets the stage for your case. This statement introduces the judge to the important facts, aligning them with the specific legal elements involved. It’s your chance to clearly state what you seek from the judge.

When crafting your opening statement, remember that it shapes the impression of your entire case. You want to convey confidence, organization, and preparedness. Keep it concise, focusing on the key facts that support your argument. Avoid overwhelming the judge with unnecessary details.

Include a chronological timeline of the events and evidence in your case. This timeline is a valuable asset that helps the judge follow the events leading up to your case. By visually organizing your evidence on a timeline, you can demonstrate when crucial facts occurred and how they connect. Doing this gives the judge a deeper understanding of your case’s context and empowers them to make an informed decision.

To make the most of your timeline, ensure that each piece of evidence on the timeline is assigned a page number corresponding to its location in your trial presentation. This way, the judge can easily navigate to the relevant evidence, facilitating a smooth and efficient review of your case.

Damages Table:

A damages table is a vital component that showcases all the damages you claim in a neat and structured format, complete with accurate calculations. This table plays a crucial role when presenting your case to the judge, allowing you to show the exact amount of money you deserve

Think of the damages table as a handy list that outlines the money you seek. By having a damaged table, you can ensure that you cover all the different types of money you need to ask for, leaving no important details behind. This organized approach presents a compelling case and helps the judge understand your arguments easily, making a favorable decision more likely.

Finally, include copies of all the evidence supporting your case in your trial presentation. From documents and text messages to emails, photographs, and videos, leave no stone unturned in presenting the full picture.

Also, ensure that each piece of evidence is clearly labeled. Moreover, organize your evidence logically and chronologically so the judge can easily navigate each piece.  

In conclusion, a trial presentation can help strengthen your case and be more persuasive. It allows you to organize your thoughts, gain the judge’s trust, and keep everyone engaged in the courtroom. By following the steps and including these important sections in your presentation, you can clearly present your case and increase your chances of winning. Take advantage of this opportunity to confidently share your side of the story, leave a lasting impression, and achieve a favorable outcome in your legal journey.

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The Art and Science of Powerful Legal Presentations

Why is it hard to make captivating presentations? The basic problem is that many times, presenters fail to consider their audience. As an attorney or litigation support professional, you can spend hours and hours digging through the minutia of a matter to find the most important or damning pieces of evidence. After all of that hard work, it’s tempting to want to show a jury, judge, arbitrator, regulator, or other audience everything you have found. However, behavior scientists have found that in compelling presentations, nothing turns an audience off like too much information.

The Trial Presentation Blues

Research has shown that that immediately after a 10-minute presentation, listeners only remembered 50 percent of what was said. By the next day that had dropped to 25 percent, and a week later it was 10 percent. But you can’t blame your audience if they fail to absorb information. It just means you haven’t been able to make your presentation compelling. So what does work? To start, a multi-media presentation is going to be more effective than a lecture. Science has found that very little information is retained if it is only heard. The same is true if it’s only seen. However, anywhere from 50 percent all the way to 2/3 of content is remembered if the information is contained in an audio AND visual presentation. Things that science has proven increase retention:

And, of course, repetition. And repetition…. you get the point. Things science has shown does not increase retention:

• Raw information

When bullet points are necessary, keep them short and punchy, like this:

• Have excellent visual aids
• Repeat core themes
• Simple, simple, simple

So, what does this mean in practice? How can you put these insights into practice and win your audience’s attention?

Keep it Simple

Your presentation is for the benefit of the audience. But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them and some of your best slides may have no text at all. It is ok to add some bullet point slides throughout your presentation, but keep the bullets simple and limit the number of bullets to no more than six per slide.

Use Powerful Images

You should also use high-quality quality images, such as simple icons or high resolution photo images. (The Nextpoint Client Success team can always assist with directing you to online resources for finding high-quality images.)

Make it Pop

Consider how you use color and movement. When using color to highlight key text, it is important that you don’t go overboard on one slide and have too many highlights. Also some animation is a good thing, but stick to the most subtle and professional animations. A simple Wipe Left-to-Right from the Animations menu in PowerPoint is good for a bullet point, but a Move or Fly, for example, can be too tedious and slow.

How to Start Wowing Your Legal Audience

The first rule of legal presentations is Don’t Be Generic . For example, you know that jurors have seen a standard-issue template like the one below about a bazillion times.

When using generic templates with little personality, you risk losing your audience’s attention. Instead, try some simple customization and color to make them stand out and hold attention. Some simple customization including curved edges, color contrast, gradients, and better fonts for more readable slides. One important first step to ensuring your presentations are not generic is simply to have good Master slides. This is the foundation of a good visual presentation.

One Slide to Rule Them All

Anything you’d like to appear on ALL slides should be placed onto the top level master slide. Usually this will be your background color or image, slide title placeholder, footer placeholder and page number. Anything you’d like to appear on a specific slide type layout should be placed on the corresponding master layout slide. This may include text placeholders, image placeholders and/or accent boxes. Custom color palettes can also be created within Master View. Once your master slide layouts are in place, exit Master View to return to slide edit mode. See the images below for instructions on how to use your layouts to start building slides.

However, once you have a good master slide, don’t rely on it too heavily or your audience will get bored quickly. As I mentioned, good stock images (NOT cheap clip art), simple icons, and short punchy text will go a long way to making your presentation memorable. If you only have a couple bullet slides, consider using icons instead of plain circle or square bullets for additional visual impact.

These are the basic outlines of a smart presentation strategy. You can find a lot more tips on the Nextpoint blog . Most of these are simple tips, but when taken together, they deliver professional, polished presentations that make sure your audience understands and retains what you’re trying to tell them. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Erinn Lawber is the Art Director for Nextpoint’s Client Success team. She has been with Nextpoint since 2006 and has contributed quality presentation design to countless trials, arbitrations, hearings over the past 8 years.

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6 Tips to Make Your Legal Presentations Pop

No legal presentation is ever like another..

Sometimes attorneys handle dry, complicated intellectual property matters; other times, emotional personal injury cases.

But in many years of making dynamic presentations for all kinds of hearings and audiences, our team has learned that there are a few important steps that will ensure your slides have the weight and power they deserve.

1. Don’t Be Generic

Ugh. You know that jurors have seen a standard-issue PowerPoint template a bazillion times.

When using generic templates with little personality, you risk losing your audience’s attention. Instead, try some simple customization and color to make them stand out and hold attention. Curved edges, color contrast,  gradients, and better fonts for more readable slides are a few simple ways you can customize your presentation.

…Don’t Worry, You Can Still Print Them

I know what you may be thinking – if you’re worried about printing slides with a dark background, PowerPoint does let you print in pure black and white, which is great for markups and saves on toner.

2. Make Images That Stand Out

If you’re not sure whether to go with a dark or light background, consider your content. For example, photos stand out more on a dark background.

In a bright room, text tends to be easier to read on a light background.

And if your content varies throughout the presentation and includes both text and images, consider using what we call an “accent box” – basically a block of white on a darker background. This works best for the text-heavy slides.

3. It Starts With a Great Title

Another important consideration for templates is the slide title. Aligning titles to the left margin ensures that they will start in the same spot every time, which makes them much easier to follow for readers than center aligning. Try to keep titles on one line, but if you must go onto a second line, make sure the top line is shorter than the bottom. Putting a soft return (shift+return) where you want the title to break onto the next line makes a big difference in readability.

4. Better Typography = More Readable Text

A presentation full of text slides can definitely get boring for audiences. But even the best presenters need the occasional bulleted list slide.

To keep your bullet point slides readable, be as concise as possible. One line per bullet is preferable, but if you must go onto two lines, it helps to have proper line spacing (leading) set up so that your ideas do not blur into a mass of text. Also be sure to avoid leaving a single word on the second line (we call that a widow).

Keep your font size large enough to read, but not too large. A good rule to follow is 46-52 characters per line (1.5 to 2 full alphabets). If you only have a couple bullet slides, consider using icons instead of plain circle or square bullets for additional visual impact.

5. No More Boring Icons and Stock Photos!

If you are struggling to find imagery for your presentation, don’t default to using cheesy clipart! Websites like the Noun Project , Vecteezy , Creative Commons , and Brands of the World can help you find great icons, stock photos and logos without licensing fees. (Pay attention to licensing – some icons and photos may require attribution.)

6. Test the Equipment

Our last, but perhaps most important tip – take a test run. It’s devastating to slave away on a presentation only to see it completely washed out and unreadable on the courtroom projector. Try to get into the courtroom during set up to test your slides on the equipment that will be used during your presentation.

If you can’t use the actual machine, test it on the worst projector or monitor you can find, just to be safe. This is especially true if your usual computer has a high quality monitor. For example, there is always a big difference between what we see on our MacBook screens versus typical projector screens.

We’re Here to Help With Trial Presentation

Most of these are simple tips, but taken together, they deliver professional, polished presentations that make sure your audience hears what you’re trying to tell them. For more help with your presentation, schedule a consultation with our services team . We can make compelling graphics, videos, and more. We can even come to your trial to run the slides and manage the technical aspects of presentation , so that you can focus on delivering a winning argument.

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• Trial Preparation

Trial Presentation 101: Impactful Courtroom Demonstratives

Trial preparation 101: strategies for building winning arguments, why the cloud is the only answer for multi district litigation.

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• Apr 20, 2021

Creating an Effective PowerPoint Presentation for a Legal Proceeding

PowerPoint presentations have long been used in the courtroom to deliver important arguments to a judge and jury. Although this technology is not new, many attorneys still struggle to use the software effectively. Without the right tools, even the strongest legal arguments may be lost on the audience.

The Basics: Know Your Screen

The type of screen on which your presentation will be displayed makes a significant difference in its visual clarity. An older pull-down screen in a courtroom may not be as easy to view as a large high-definition monitor. The lighting in the presentation environment also has a large impact on the screen.

At TrialSpectrum, Inc., our team of professionals carefully studies the location of your presentation, whether it is a large courtroom or a small conference room. This allows us to create a PowerPoint presentation that is tailored to the specific environment in which you will be presenting.

Fonts and Colors

The font type and font colors you select for your PowerPoint presentation determine whether your audience is able to read the information you are delivering. For example, did you know that sans serif fonts are usually easier on the eyes? Capitalizing every word in a block of text is also generally ineffective, and many background colors can cause many viewers’ eyes to strain. At TrialSpectrum, Inc., we know the best types of fonts and font colors to use to ensure your audience is able to read text, regardless of their age or visual acuity.

Do Not Read from the Screen

A PowerPoint presentation is a visual aid . A visual aid should support an attorney’s presentation—not be the entire presentation itself. An attorney should use a PowerPoint presentation to drive home important facts and legal arguments. If the attorney simply stands in front of a judge and jury and reads from a slide, the attorney risks these individuals becoming bored and unimpressed.

At TrialSpectrum, Inc., we will work with you to help you use a PowerPoint presentation as a supplemental tool to strengthen your legal arguments. We will help you practice and will provide tips to you to increase the effectiveness of your delivery.

Plan Your Position

Where you stand during a PowerPoint presentation is important. You want to be able to address your audience while tying your statements to the slides that are displayed. Stand too close to your audience and they may focus on you instead of the PowerPoint. If you stand too far away, the audience may become distracted.

The team of professionals at TrialSpectrum, Inc., will help you determine where you should stand to deliver your message effectively. We will also discuss body language and whether you should move about the room at all during your presentation.

A Variety of Visual Elements

One of the greatest advantages of using PowerPoint software is its ability to include a variety of visual elements into a single presentation. Attorneys are able to incorporate photos, audio clips, videos, graphics, animations, and a variety of other pieces of evidence into a single presentation. Because everyone learns information differently, a PowerPoint presentation is an excellent tool to use to ensure the audience understands both the facts of a case and the laws and regulations that may affect them.

Contact TrialSpectrum, Inc. Today to Begin Creating a PowerPoint Presentation

The team of litigation consultants and trial technology experts at TrialSpectrum, Inc., has the tools you need to elevate your legal arguments. We not only create effective PowerPoint presentations, but we also work with you to ensure you are comfortable using the software. We are available the day of your presentation as well to assist with any technological issues you may have. To learn more about our company and the services we offer, call 800-789-0084 or visit www.trialspectrum.com.

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• Practical Law

Presentation skills: the basics

Practical law uk practice note w-020-4042  (approx. 7 pages).

• Presenting your department's strategic plan to the organisation's board.
• Addressing shareholders at your organisation's AGM.
• Explaining to the organisation what the legal function does and how it contributes to wider business goals.
• Addressing the media, possibly in response to a crisis.
• Speaking at industry conferences, either as a speaker or chair of a panel.

Effective ways to prepare for a presentation

Research your audience.

• What aspect of your subject area are the audience most interested in?
• How well informed about the subject are the audience?
• Are the audience interested in the subject from a particular perspective (for example, from a finance, legal, marketing or other viewpoint)?

What are the key takeaways

Plan your presentation.

• Tell them what you are going to tell them. Introduce your big idea at the outset and explain that your presentation will enlarge on that theme.
• Tell them. This is the main body of your presentation.
• Tell them what you have told them. When you reach the end of the main body, summarise by repeating your core theme, this time with the supporting points in short, bullet point style.

Chairing a panel

Organise a preparation call.

• Are going to be relevant on content.
• Stick to the panel topic.
• Have considered what they are going to say.
• Do not overlap on content.
• Have enough (but not too much) to say in the time allotted to them.

Starting the session

Moderating the discussion.

"Alex, that's a really interesting point; and one I've struggled with. Cameron, what's your view on this?"

"That sounds great, Evan. So, if I've understood correctly, in a nutshell…"

Q&A session

• Communicate and train
• Managing ethics and culture

This resource is continually monitored and revised for any necessary changes due to legal, market, or practice developments. Any significant developments affecting this resource will be described below.

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Mastering the Art of Legal Argumentation: A Guide for Law Students

This comprehensive guide is a must-read for law students looking to improve their legal argumentation skills.

Posted January 2, 2024

Featuring Cian S.

Law School: Crafting a Compelling Personal Statement

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Table of Contents

Legal argumentation is an essential skill for any law student or practicing lawyer. It involves the art of persuading an audience, whether it’s a judge, a jury, or other legal professionals, to adopt a particular viewpoint or conclusion. In this article, we’ll explore all aspects of legal argumentation, from understanding why it’s important to crafting a strong legal argument and using technology to enhance your skills.

Understanding the Importance of Legal Argumentation in Law School

Law students are often required to write briefs, oral arguments, and appellate court opinions as part of their coursework. These tasks require them to understand the intricacies of legal argumentation. Legal argumentation is essential for law students to develop critical thinking skills and articulate their ideas effectively. They need to analyze legal issues, gather evidence, structure their arguments, and persuade their audience to adopt their positions. Without legal argumentation skills, law students will struggle to excel in their coursework or their legal careers.

Moreover, legal argumentation is not only important for academic success but also for practical application in the legal profession. Lawyers must be able to present their arguments persuasively in court, negotiate effectively with opposing counsel, and draft legal documents that are clear and concise. Legal argumentation skills are also crucial for developing creative solutions to complex legal problems and for advocating for clients' rights and interests. Therefore, law students must prioritize the development of legal argumentation skills throughout their education to succeed in their future legal careers.

Legal argumentation skills are essential not only for law school but also for professional practice. In legal practice, lawyers use their argumentation skills to convince judges, juries, or clients of their position. Students should look for opportunities to apply their legal argumentation skills by taking internships, externships, or participating in legal clinics.

Mastering the art of legal argumentation can help build confidence in law students. By developing their legal argumentation skills, students can face legal challenges with confidence and clarity. They can make more convincing oral arguments, write better briefs, and produce persuasive evidence. This confidence can translate directly into better performance in law school or legal practice.

The Fundamentals of Crafting a Strong Legal Argument

Crafting a strong legal argument requires a thorough understanding of the law, factual analysis, and persuasive writing. Students need to research and identify legal issues, gather relevant facts, and then apply the law to the facts. They should also structure their arguments with clarity and coherence to prevent confusion or ambiguity. Additionally, they need to use persuasive language and evidence to convince their audience to adopt their positions.

Another important aspect of crafting a strong legal argument is anticipating and addressing counterarguments. Students should consider the opposing viewpoints and potential weaknesses in their own arguments. By addressing these counterarguments, they can strengthen their own position and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the issue at hand.

Furthermore, it is essential for students to understand the context in which their argument will be presented. They should consider the audience, the purpose of the argument, and the potential impact of their position. By tailoring their argument to the specific context, students can increase the effectiveness of their argument and achieve their desired outcome.

Analyzing Legal Issues and Gathering Evidence for Your Argument

The analysis of legal issues and gathering evidence from relevant sources is an essential step in legal argumentation. The legal issues provide the foundation for the argument, and the evidence supports the position taken. Law students need to process the legal issues and identify the relevant facts that support their position. They should understand how the court applies the legal principles to the facts and the relevance of previous cases. For example, when applying a precedent or case law, the facts of that case must be similar enough to the case being argued.

Moreover, it is important for law students to consider the counterarguments and potential weaknesses in their argument. This requires a thorough understanding of the opposing side's position and the ability to anticipate their arguments. By doing so, law students can strengthen their own argument and address any potential weaknesses. Additionally, gathering evidence from multiple sources, such as legal journals, case law, and expert opinions, can provide a more comprehensive and persuasive argument. Overall, the analysis of legal issues and gathering of evidence requires careful consideration and attention to detail in order to construct a strong and convincing legal argument.

How to Structure Your Legal Argument: Tips and Techniques

The logical structure of a legal argument is crucial for presenting a clear and compelling case to a judge or jury. Law students should be familiar with the various structures of legal arguments, including deductive, inductive, and syllogistic reasoning. In addition, students must learn how to organize the evidence in a way that supports their conclusion. Effective structuring helps to prevent confusion and avoids illogical gaps or inconsistencies in the argument.

Another important aspect of structuring a legal argument is understanding the audience. Lawyers must tailor their arguments to the specific judge or jury they are presenting to. This means considering the judge or jury's background, beliefs, and values. By understanding the audience, lawyers can present their arguments in a way that resonates with them and increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

Finally, it is important to remember that a legal argument is not just about presenting facts and evidence. It is also about telling a story. Lawyers must craft a narrative that connects with the audience and makes them care about the case. This means using persuasive language, creating a compelling plot, and highlighting the emotional stakes of the case. By telling a story, lawyers can make their arguments more memorable and impactful.

The Role of Persuasion in Legal Argumentation

Persuasion is an essential tool for legal argumentation. It is the process of convincing your audience that your position is the correct one. In legal writing, students should aim to use persuasive language, vivid imagery, and rhetorical devices to engage their audience and create a powerful emotional impact. However, law students should be careful not to be overly emotional or manipulative, as this can undermine their credibility.

One effective way to use persuasion in legal argumentation is to anticipate and address counterarguments. By acknowledging and refuting potential objections to your position, you can strengthen your argument and demonstrate your thorough understanding of the issue at hand. Additionally, using real-world examples and analogies can help make complex legal concepts more accessible and relatable to your audience.

It is important to note that persuasion is not the same as manipulation. While persuasion aims to convince an audience through logical and emotional appeals, manipulation involves using deceitful or unethical tactics to achieve a desired outcome. As legal professionals, it is crucial to maintain ethical standards and avoid any actions that could compromise our integrity or the integrity of the legal system.

Developing a Unique Voice in Your Legal Writing

While there is a certain formality to legal writing, law students should not sacrifice their individuality. The best legal arguments are ones that convey the writer's unique perspective on the law and the facts. To do this, students must be aware of their tone, word choice, and syntax, and learn to write with purpose and clarity. By developing their unique voice, students can stand out from the crowd and make intelligent and engaging arguments.

One way to develop a unique voice in legal writing is to read widely and study the writing styles of different legal professionals. This can help students to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, and to develop their own writing style. Additionally, seeking feedback from professors and peers can be helpful in refining one's writing and developing a unique voice.

It is important to note that developing a unique voice does not mean sacrificing clarity or professionalism. Rather, it means finding a way to convey legal arguments in a way that is engaging and memorable. By doing so, students can not only stand out in their writing, but also make a lasting impression on their readers.

Preparing for Oral Arguments: Tips and Strategies

Oral arguments can be intimidating for law students, but they are an essential part of legal argumentation. Preparing for oral arguments involves practicing and memorizing key points, anticipating questions from the opposition, and developing a strategy for presenting the argument persuasively. Students should also use effective techniques like using visual aids, body language, and maintaining eye contact to convey their message effectively.

Rebuttals are an essential part of legal argumentation, especially in oral arguments. Winning an argument often entails the ability to address counterarguments and refute them successfully. Law students need to use effective techniques to identify and respond to potential counterarguments while developing strong responses to undermine the opposition's position.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Legal Argumentation

Legal argumentation is a complex skill, and as such, there are many common mistakes that law students make. These include using fallacious arguments, failing to address counterarguments, lacking a clear thesis statement, and neglecting adequate evidence. By understanding and avoiding these pitfalls, law students can produce better arguments that are persuasive and effective.

Legal argumentation also raises ethical issues, especially when it involves persuading people to accept your position. Law students must be aware of the ethical rules and norms that apply to legal arguments. They must also be careful to avoid misrepresenting facts or engaging in dishonest behavior, which can lead to significant sanctions or worse.

The Importance of Feedback and Continuous Improvement in Legal Argumentation

Feedback and continuous improvement are critical to mastering legal argumentation skills. Law students should seek feedback from their professors, mentors, and peers on their legal writing and arguments. By taking their feedback and continuously improving their work, students can strengthen their skills and produce more persuasive and effective arguments.

Technology provides many opportunities for law students to improve their legal argumentation skills. Students can use online resources such as legal aid websites, legal research tools, and databases to enrich their legal writing. They can also use tools such as speech recognition software, mind-mapping software, and collaborative writing platforms to make the argumentation process more comfortable and productive.

Key Takeaways

• Legal argumentation is an essential skill for law students to master.
• Students must understand its importance, the fundamentals of crafting a strong legal argument, and how to use technology and other resources to enhance their skills.
• They should develop a unique voice, check for mistakes, and prepare for oral arguments.
• Students should be aware of the ethical issues and use feedback to improve their skills continually.
• By mastering legal argumentation skills, students can build confidence and succeed in law school and their legal careers.

Want to continue learning real-world skills that are prevalent to the law field? Check out these articles and see your skill set expand today:

• Books to Read Before Law School: Preparing for Legal Education
• Demystifying the Socratic Method in Law School
• Top 10 Ways to Prepare for Law School
• Transitioning From Law School to a Legal Career: What to Expect

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How to nail the presentation you’ve been asked to give at your firm

• March 16, 2020

Jennifer Anderson

Lawyers, especially litigators, tend to have an affinity for the dramatic. When it comes to the workplace, this often translates into a deep-rooted desire for everyone in the firm to be world-class presenters. This makes sense for the lawyers — after all, they’re likely to end up presenting cases in front of a judge and jury someday.

That does not mean, however, that other legal professionals within the firm are off the hook. Often, paralegals, administrators, and other employees will be called upon to give presentations on everything from current case law to employee benefit plan options. And, not surprisingly, the better you are at presenting the more cachet you’ll build among your co-workers and employers.

But not everyone is a natural when it comes to public speaking. That’s okay! In this article, we present you with some of our top tips for nailing your next law firm presentation.

Practice, practice, practice

When most people are asked to give a presentation, they fall into an all-too-familiar trap. Specifically, they will write out their speech (whether on the computer or on note cards), read the content obsessively prior to the presentation date, then do the first “live” presentation when they’re sitting in front of their co-workers. This is a big mistake.

The better course of action is to practice the presentation repeatedly before you give it to other people. Read it out loud. See where you get tripped up and then edit that section so it flows easier when you have to say it out loud to your colleagues. Get to the point where you can get all the way through the presentation with ease. That way, there won’t be any surprises and you’ll feel confident as you start speaking at the firm.

Beware of your own tics

Did you ever have a professor in college who said “um” about 43,000 times per lecture? Maybe you and your classmates even made a game out of counting the total “ums” per class. While amusing for the listener, the real tragedy is that tics like this can cause your audience to completely ignore the substance of your presentation. Worse yet, the speaker is rarely aware that he or she is engaging in this repetitive behavior.

What that means is that you’re going to have to find someone who will check you for tics (pun intended). Have a friend listen to your presentation and give you honest feedback about things like excessive use of repeated phrases like “um” or “like” or “you know what I mean?” Also have the person take note of any physical tics such as foot-tapping, pencil chewing, or white-knuckling the podium.

Once you’re aware of your own tics, you can set about to eradicate them. Again, this will involve a ton of practice, but it will be time well spent when you nail your presentation in front of the firm’s partners.

Videotape yourself

I don’t know a single person who enjoys this process, but, in my experience, it is the single most effective tool for improving your public speaking skills. For most people, all you’ll have to do is set up your cellphone to record your practice sessions . Then comes the hard part — you have to watch it.

You better believe you’ll learn a lot about your presentation skills. In fact, when I first employed this trick to prepare for a mock opening statement in law school, I learned that I — perhaps having watched too many episodes of “Matlock” in my day — said the phrase “ladies and gentlemen of the jury” no fewer than 30 times in a five-minute presentation. And until I watched that video, I had no idea I was doing it. It was one of the most useful, if not painful, lessons of my entire legal career. I promise you’ll hate this process but I also promise it will improve your public speaking skills more than anything else.

Take a class

I understand that you may not have time to enroll in a course between the moment your law firm partner assigns you a presentation and the moment you have to give it. That said, you are in the legal profession and chances are you’ll be called upon to speak publicly at some point. So, if this is an insecurity of yours, why not seek out some professional guidance? In fact, there are a surprising number of free resources online designed specifically to help you become a better speaker.

The truth about giving successful presentations at your law firm is that it is just like anything else in your legal career — it will take hard work, preparation, and a healthy dose of confidence. What are your go-to tricks for giving a winning presentation at the firm?

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presentment

Definition of presentment

Examples of presentment in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'presentment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near presentment

presentment of Englishry

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“Presentment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presentment. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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4 Innovative Ways To Improve Your Presentation Skills In Law School

How to Remove a Fake Google Review

Commercial Awareness Update – W/C 24th July 2023

In the legal profession, presentation skills are of paramount importance. Law school, being the foundation of this profession, necessitates students to develop and hone these skills for many reasons. The ability to present effectively forms the bedrock of the classroom experience and bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical application. It encompasses articulating legal arguments in moot courts, delivering presentations in class, or even arguing cases in front of a judge.

Engaging presentation skills hold the power to persuade and convince the audience – a critical aspect of a legal career. Moreover, they help to build confidence, an attribute that underpins the career of any successful lawyer. The better your presentation skills, the more effectively you can communicate complex legal concepts and principles. This will make you stand out in the crowd of aspiring legal professionals. Therefore, improving presentation skills is an added advantage and an absolute necessity. The following sections explore innovative ways to improve your presentation skills in law school.

Interactive Learning

The term “Interactive Learning” refers to a method of instruction that encourages student participation. It is especially beneficial in law school, where understanding complex legal concepts requires more than just passive listening or reading.

Interactive learning activities, such as participating in debate clubs or moot courts, allow law students to engage in simulated real-world legal scenarios. They serve as platforms for practising and refining presentation skills in an environment that fosters immediate feedback and peer interaction.

The benefits are manifold. By participating in these activities, students develop the ability to articulate legal arguments effectively, think on their feet, and respond to counter-arguments, all of which are critical for a successful legal career.

To implement interactive learning, law students should seek out and engage in opportunities within and outside the classroom. They could join or form study groups, participate in legal role-playing scenarios, enter moot court competitions, or participate in legal debates. Such activities provide an active, participatory learning experience that can significantly enhance presentation skills.

Utilise Technology

In the modern age, technology has become integral to nearly all aspects of life, including education. For law students, leveraging technology can provide innovative ways to improve presentation skills.

Various digital platforms and tools are available that can aid in developing practical presentation skills. For instance, presentation software like PowerPoint, Prezi, or Google Slides can help students design professional and engaging presentations.

One specific way to leverage technology is by utilising tools that can unblur images, enabling students to enhance the quality and clarity of their presentation visuals. You can unblur your photo through this tool and ensure your visual aids are sharp, professional, and engaging.

The use of technology can enhance learning by providing diverse, interactive experiences. It can aid in preparing and delivering presentations, facilitate feedback, and enable practice in various settings. Additionally, with many legal proceedings moving online, familiarity with digital tools can better equip students for the evolving legal landscape.

Students should explore various digital tools and platforms and integrate them into their learning process. They should practice presenting using these tools and seek feedback. Regular use of technology and traditional learning methods can significantly enhance a law student’s presentation skills.

Scenario-Based Learning

Practising real-life scenarios, often called experiential learning, involves law students actively participating in activities that simulate real-world legal situations. Examples include mock trials, moot court competitions, or internships at law firms. These experiences enable students to practice presenting arguments, build legal skills, and apply classroom learning to practical situations.

Engaging in real scenarios benefits students by enhancing their ability to argue cases convincingly, think critically and respond spontaneously to unexpected situations – all vital elements in the courtroom. Additionally, such practice can help reduce anxiety and build confidence as students become more comfortable and adept at presenting in front of others.

Implementation of this strategy involves seeking out and taking advantage of opportunities for real scenario practice. Students can participate in extracurricular activities like moot court competitions or mock trials, often hosted by law schools or professional legal organisations. Law clinics, internships, or job shadowing can also provide practical experience.

Emphasising practice in real scenarios in law school can give students a competitive edge and better prepare them for their future legal careers.

Attend Workshops/Seminars

Workshops and seminars are often led by experienced professionals who can provide practical insights and tips. They can cover various topics, such as public speaking, effective communication, argument formation, and the use of technology in presentations, among others.

Participating in workshops and seminars has numerous benefits. Students can learn from experts, practice in a safe and supportive environment, and receive valuable feedback on their presentation skills. These events also provide opportunities for networking , which can lead to internships, mentorships, or job opportunities in the legal field.

Additionally, workshops and seminars often involve interactive sessions, role-plays, or mock trials, providing practical experience that can greatly enhance learning. Combining theory and practical application in these settings can help students quickly improve their presentation skills and gain confidence.

As a law school student, you must actively seek out and participate in relevant workshops and seminars. These could be events hosted by the law school, professional legal organisations, or online webinars. Regularly participating in these events, students can steadily enhance their presentation skills and advance their legal careers.

Camilla Uppal

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What is Ratification in Law: Everything You Need to Know

If you've ever asked, "what is ratification in law," it's the process of agreeing to or confirming a specific legal action. 3 min read updated on February 01, 2023

If you've ever asked, "what is ratification in law," it's the process of agreeing to or confirming a specific legal action.

Any action that a business takes must be handled by an individual with the authority to make decisions on the company's behalf. This might be a member of the board of directors, the company owner, or someone else with authority, such as a chief executive officer or president. When an individual agrees to or confirms the action being taken by the business, this is referred to as "ratification" in law. Ratification can happen in a number of situations, but its legality is determined by the circumstances and facts around the event or action being taken.

Ratification of a contract is required when a  contract can legally be voided , but the parties involved decide to execute the contract instead. For example, if an individual signed a contract to purchase a vehicle but that person was only 16 years old, the contract could be voided legally because a contract can only be signed by people ages 18 years and older. Upon reaching the legal age to sign a contract, the individual could ratify the contract and honor the vehicle purchase. 

Small business owners may have to ratify contracts that may have been signed by individuals who weren't authorized to take legal action on behalf of the company. 

Ratification Law and Legal Definition

If a person communicates to another person, either in action or words, the first individual approves of and accepts the other individual's conduct. This is known as an "agreement to adopt" an act. A contract ratification can either be implied or expressed. If a contract is expressed, it must include direct terms of assent, while an implied contract typically is based on implied laws. For example, if James purchases something for Peter, Peter can receive the item and apply it for his own use.

When a contract is ratified, the person signing accepts the advantages and disadvantages of the agreement. One general rule of  contract law is that the principal can choose whether they wish to adopt the unauthorized action, such as signing a contract, or not adopt it. 

However, once the action has been ratified , the individual can no longer recall or revoke that action, as long as they had full knowledge of all the circumstances. By ratifying the action, the person signing becomes legally bound as though they had been the one to authorize the action in the first place.

Ratifying a legal contract is retroactively enforced, binding the person who ratified it to the original contract date, not just the date it was ratified. This rule is in accordance with the maxim “omnis ratihabitio mandato aeguiparatur.” By ratifying under this rule , the unauthorized agent will no longer be responsible for any terms outlined in the contract. However, if ratification doesn't take place, the person who signed could be liable for the terms.

Some legal rules, such as the legal age to sign a contract, apply. An infant would not be liable for any signed contracts, but upon reaching the legal age, that person could choose to ratify the contracts signed by an express or actual declaration. If this happens, the individual would be then legally bound to all terms outlined in the contract.

In order to be recognized in a legal sense, a ratification must be:

• Intelligent

The individual ratifying the contract must also know that failure to ratify would eliminate the requirements and agreements outlined in the contract.

After ratifying or confirming a contract, the infant from the previous example may have implied responsibilities based on actions after coming of age. However, if a contract was rescinded instead of ratified, someone else could be responsible for the contract, especially if it wasn't signed legally. After reaching the legal age, the infant could confirm the contract through ratification and take advantage of any benefits outlined in its terms. 

Under Article II of the Constitution of the United States, the President holds the power to make treaties, although this requires the advice and consent of two-thirds of the members of the Senate. A treaty is only valid and binding to the nation if two-thirds of the Senate ratifies it unless terms of propriety or expediency have been otherwise discussed. 

If you need help understanding what ratification in law is, you can  post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.

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PRESENTATION, eccl. law. The act of a patron offering his clerk to the bishop of the diocese to be instituted in a church or benefice.

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The Law Dictionary

PRESENTATION

TheLaw.com Law Dictionary & Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed.

In ecclesiastical law. The act of a patron or proprietor of a living in offering or presenting a clerk to the ordinary to be instituted in the benefice. Presentation oi&ee. The office of the lord chancellor’s official, the secretary of presentations, who conducts all correspondence having reference to the twelve canonries and sis hundred and fifty livings in the gift of the lord chancellor, and draws and issues the fiats of appointment. Sweet.

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What’s Happening at the Presentation of the Lord?

Forty days after his birth, Christ was presented at the Temple. Why?

Feb. 2 is the Feast of the the Presentation of the Lord.

We read about the presentation of the Lord in Luke Chapter 2, but the text can be a little mysterious.

What is actually happening there?

Some claim that Luke himself didn't know...

What Luke Says

Here is what Luke (2:22-24) actually says about the event:

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ’Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’

He then records the encounters with Simeon and Anna the prophetess, but at the moment our focus is what Luke refers to as “their purification.”

What is he talking about?

The Purification of the Mother

The first thing to note is that Luke is not talking about the time of Jesus' circumcision. That occurred on the eighth day after his birth . Luke has already talked about that and is now referring to a later time.

Specifically, he's talking about the 40th day after Christ's birth.

We know that because of he quotes from Leviticus 12:8 (“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons”), which refers to the purification ritual that a Jewish mother needed to perform to become ritually clean again after childbirth.

In the case of a boy, this was on the 40th day after childbirth (which is why this feast is on Feb. 2 — 40 days after Christmas, counting Dec. 25 as the first day).

In the case of a girl child, the purification was later.

This leads to a question ...

Why “Their” Purification?

Leviticus only mentions the purification of the mother, not anybody else. So why does Luke refer to the time of “their” purification?

Some have thought Luke was fuzzy on how all this was supposed to work.

That seems unlikely to me. Luke may have been a Gentile Christian, but he was living amidst numerous Jewish Christians, and in keeping with his habit of investigating things thoroughly, he would have been able to find out precisely how these things worked.

I think another explanation is more likely, and there are several possible ones.

One is that Luke is just speaking in a general way. The rite of purification was something that the whole family was present for. They all made the journey to the temple together, and so it was in some sense “their” effort, even if it was Mary in particular who was being ritually purified.

If a modern family goes to a restaurant to celebrate the birthday of one of it’s members, it is in one sense “their” party, even if in another sense it is the party of the one having the birthday.

In the same way, if the whole family goes to the temple for a purification, Luke can speak of it as “their” purification, even if they aren’t all being purified.

A Poor But Obedient Family

There are a couple more things to note about Mary’s purification.

The first is that the offering she made indicates that the Holy Family was poor. The ordinary offering was a lamb and a dove, but in cases where a family was too poor for that, two doves were used instead.

Despite its noble lineage, belonging to the line of David, Joseph’s family had fallen on hard times and was among the poor.

They were still obedient to what the Law of Moses required, though. This is the reason why Mary offers the second dove as “a sin offering” (see Leviticus 12:6), though she herself was immaculate.

This act does not indicate that she was a sinner any more than Jesus' circumcision, baptism, or participation in other sacrificial rites indicates that he was a sinner.

And there is more happening here ...

The Redemption of the Firstborn

Luke also quotes Exodus 13:2, which deals with the redemption of firstborn males.

The idea behind this ritual was that every male firstborn — whether human or animal — is holy to God, the same way that the firstfruits of a crop were holy to God.

Consequently, they had to either be given to God in sacrifice or redeemed — bought back from him.

Since human sacrifice was illegal and immoral, all firstborn boys had to be redeemed, which was done by their father paying a priest five shekels.

Luke Confused Again?

Again, people accuse Luke of being confused about this. It is argued that the redemption of the firstborn didn't take place at the Temple, and so there was no reason for the Holy Family to bring Jesus there.

Again, the criticism is misplaced.

While it may have been possible for a boy to be redeemed anywhere, it was natural for this to be done at the temple, and we know — in fact — that there was a tradition of doing so.

We read about that in Nehemiah 10:35-36, where the people took an oath, saying:

We obligate ourselves ... to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law.

No Mention of Redemption?

Interestingly, Luke does not mention Joseph paying the five shekels to a priest. Why not?

It could be that he simply takes this act for granted, just as he doesn't go into the details of the rite of Mary’s purification. He has cited the Old Testament passages referring to these rites, and he takes that as sufficient indication they were performed.

But some have thought there may be a deeper significance to his failing to mention Jesus being redeemed.

Why might that be?

Still Consecrated

The obvious answer would be that Jesus was considered as still consecrated to the Lord.

Two reasons suggest themselves. First, as the Jewish Encyclopedia notes :

Not only priests and Levites, but also Israelites whose wives are the daughters of priests or Levites, need not redeem their firstborn . 

Joseph was the husband of Mary, and Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, who was “of the daughters of Aaron” (Luke 1:5), so perhaps Mary's lineage didn't require her to have her Son redeemed.

In that case, he was presented at the Temple in acknowledgement of his consecration to God.

Or, if the redemption was done, Luke may meant to suggest, on a literary level, that Jesus remained totally consecrated to God.

Benedict XVI comments:

Evidently Luke intends to say that instead of being ‘redeemed’ and restored to his parents, this child was personally handed over to God in the Temple, given over completely to God. ... Luke has nothing to say regarding the act of 'redemption' prescribed by the law. In its place we find the exact opposite: the child is handed over to God, and from now on belongs to him completely. (Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives: 3)

This article originally appeared Feb. 2, 2014, at the Register.

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Jimmy Akin Jimmy was born in Texas and grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, “A Triumph and a Tragedy,” is published in Surprised by Truth . Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine , and a weekly guest on “Catholic Answers Live.”

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Key facts about the abortion debate in America

The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade – the decision that had guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion for nearly 50 years – has shifted the legal battle over abortion to the states, with some prohibiting the procedure and others moving to safeguard it.

As the nation’s post-Roe chapter begins, here are key facts about Americans’ views on abortion, based on two Pew Research Center polls: one conducted from June 25-July 4 , just after this year’s high court ruling, and one conducted in March , before an earlier leaked draft of the opinion became public.

This analysis primarily draws from two Pew Research Center surveys, one surveying 10,441 U.S. adults conducted March 7-13, 2022, and another surveying 6,174 U.S. adults conducted June 27-July 4, 2022. Here are the questions used for the March survey , along with responses, and the questions used for the survey from June and July , along with responses.

Everyone who took part in these surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories.  Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

A majority of the U.S. public disapproves of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe. About six-in-ten adults (57%) disapprove of the court’s decision that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion and that abortion laws can be set by states, including 43% who strongly disapprove, according to the summer survey. About four-in-ten (41%) approve, including 25% who strongly approve.

About eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (82%) disapprove of the court’s decision, including nearly two-thirds (66%) who strongly disapprove. Most Republicans and GOP leaners (70%) approve , including 48% who strongly approve.

Most women (62%) disapprove of the decision to end the federal right to an abortion. More than twice as many women strongly disapprove of the court’s decision (47%) as strongly approve of it (21%). Opinion among men is more divided: 52% disapprove (37% strongly), while 47% approve (28% strongly).

About six-in-ten Americans (62%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to the summer survey – little changed since the March survey conducted just before the ruling. That includes 29% of Americans who say it should be legal in all cases and 33% who say it should be legal in most cases. About a third of U.S. adults (36%) say abortion should be illegal in all (8%) or most (28%) cases.

Generally, Americans’ views of whether abortion should be legal remained relatively unchanged in the past few years , though support fluctuated somewhat in previous decades.

Relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the legality of abortion – either supporting or opposing it at all times, regardless of circumstances. The March survey found that support or opposition to abortion varies substantially depending on such circumstances as when an abortion takes place during a pregnancy, whether the pregnancy is life-threatening or whether a baby would have severe health problems.

While Republicans’ and Democrats’ views on the legality of abortion have long differed, the 46 percentage point partisan gap today is considerably larger than it was in the recent past, according to the survey conducted after the court’s ruling. The wider gap has been largely driven by Democrats: Today, 84% of Democrats say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, up from 72% in 2016 and 63% in 2007. Republicans’ views have shown far less change over time: Currently, 38% of Republicans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, nearly identical to the 39% who said this in 2007.

However, the partisan divisions over whether abortion should generally be legal tell only part of the story. According to the March survey, sizable shares of Democrats favor restrictions on abortion under certain circumstances, while majorities of Republicans favor abortion being legal in some situations , such as in cases of rape or when the pregnancy is life-threatening.

There are wide religious divides in views of whether abortion should be legal , the summer survey found. An overwhelming share of religiously unaffiliated adults (83%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, as do six-in-ten Catholics. Protestants are divided in their views: 48% say it should be legal in all or most cases, while 50% say it should be illegal in all or most cases. Majorities of Black Protestants (71%) and White non-evangelical Protestants (61%) take the position that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while about three-quarters of White evangelicals (73%) say it should be illegal in all (20%) or most cases (53%).

In the March survey, 72% of White evangelicals said that the statement “human life begins at conception, so a fetus is a person with rights” reflected their views extremely or very well . That’s much greater than the share of White non-evangelical Protestants (32%), Black Protestants (38%) and Catholics (44%) who said the same. Overall, 38% of Americans said that statement matched their views extremely or very well.

Catholics, meanwhile, are divided along religious and political lines in their attitudes about abortion, according to the same survey. Catholics who attend Mass regularly are among the country’s strongest opponents of abortion being legal, and they are also more likely than those who attend less frequently to believe that life begins at conception and that a fetus has rights. Catholic Republicans, meanwhile, are far more conservative on a range of abortion questions than are Catholic Democrats.

Women (66%) are more likely than men (57%) to say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to the survey conducted after the court’s ruling.

More than half of U.S. adults – including 60% of women and 51% of men – said in March that women should have a greater say than men in setting abortion policy . Just 3% of U.S. adults said men should have more influence over abortion policy than women, with the remainder (39%) saying women and men should have equal say.

The March survey also found that by some measures, women report being closer to the abortion issue than men . For example, women were more likely than men to say they had given “a lot” of thought to issues around abortion prior to taking the survey (40% vs. 30%). They were also considerably more likely than men to say they personally knew someone (such as a close friend, family member or themselves) who had had an abortion (66% vs. 51%) – a gender gap that was evident across age groups, political parties and religious groups.

Relatively few Americans view the morality of abortion in stark terms , the March survey found. Overall, just 7% of all U.S. adults say having an abortion is morally acceptable in all cases, and 13% say it is morally wrong in all cases. A third say that having an abortion is morally wrong in most cases, while about a quarter (24%) say it is morally acceptable in most cases. An additional 21% do not consider having an abortion a moral issue.

Among Republicans, most (68%) say that having an abortion is morally wrong either in most (48%) or all cases (20%). Only about three-in-ten Democrats (29%) hold a similar view. Instead, about four-in-ten Democrats say having an abortion is morally  acceptable  in most (32%) or all (11%) cases, while an additional 28% say it is not a moral issue. 

White evangelical Protestants overwhelmingly say having an abortion is morally wrong in most (51%) or all cases (30%). A slim majority of Catholics (53%) also view having an abortion as morally wrong, but many also say it is morally acceptable in most (24%) or all cases (4%), or that it is not a moral issue (17%). Among religiously unaffiliated Americans, about three-quarters see having an abortion as morally acceptable (45%) or not a moral issue (32%).

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Jane Doe is a a research analyst focusing on social and demographic research at Pew Research Center

What the data says about abortion in the U.S.

Support for legal abortion is widespread in many countries, especially in europe, nearly a year after roe’s demise, americans’ views of abortion access increasingly vary by where they live, by more than two-to-one, americans say medication abortion should be legal in their state, most latinos say democrats care about them and work hard for their vote, far fewer say so of gop, most popular.

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2024 federal budget's key takeaways: Housing and carbon rebates, students and sin taxes

Budget sees nearly $53b in new spending over the next 5 years.

What's in the new federal budget?

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Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland today tabled a 400-page-plus budget her government is pitching as a balm for anxious millennials and Generation Z.

The budget proposes $52.9 billion in new spending over five years, including $8.5 billion in new spending for housing. To offset some of that new spending, Ottawa is pitching policy changes to bring in new revenue.

Here are some of the notable funding initiatives and legislative commitments in budget 2024.

Ottawa unloading unused offices to meet housing targets

One of the biggest pillars of the budget is its housing commitments. Before releasing the budget, the government laid out what it's calling Canada's Housing Plan — a pledge to "unlock" nearly 3.9 million homes by 2031.

The government says two million of those would be net new homes and it believes it can contribute to more than half of them. 

It plans to do that by:

• Converting underused federal offices into homes. The budget promises $1.1 billion over ten years to transform 50 per cent of the federal office portfolio into housing.
• Building homes on Canada Post properties. The government says the 1,700-plus Canada Post offices across the country can be used to build new homes while maintaining postal services. The federal government says it's assessing six Canada Post properties in Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia for development potential "as a start."
• Rethinking National Defence properties. The government is promising to look at redeveloping properties and buildings on National Defence lands for military and civilian use.
• Building apartments. Ottawa is pledging a $15 billion top-up to the Apartment Construction Loan Program, which says it will build 30,000 new homes across Canada.

Taxing vacant land?

As part of its push on housing, the federal government also says it's looking at vacant land that could be used to build homes.

It's not yet committing to new measures but the budget says the government will consider introducing a new tax on residentially zoned vacant land. 

• Freeland's new federal budget hikes taxes on the rich to cover billions in new spending
• Are you renting with no plans to buy? Here's what the federal budget has for you

The government said it plans to launch consultations on the measure later this year.

Help for students 

There's also something in the budget for students hunting for housing.

The government says it will update the formula used by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program to calculate housing costs when determining financial need, to better reflect the cost of housing in the current climate.

The government estimates this could deliver more aid for rent to approximately 79,000 students each year, at an estimated cost of $154.6 million over five years.

• Updated Federal budget's funding boost for defence spread out over multiple years
• Liberals pledge $9B in new money for Indigenous communities in 2024 budget

The government is also promising to extend increased student grants and interest-free loans, at an estimated total cost of $1.1 billion this year.

Increase in taxes on capital gains

To help cover some of its multi-billion dollar commitments, the government is proposing a tax hike on capital gains — the profit individuals make when assets like stocks and second properties are sold.

The government is proposing an increase in the taxable portion of capital gains, up from the current 50 per cent to two thirds for annual capital gains over $250,000. 

New investment to lead 'housing revolution in Canada,' Freeland says

Freeland said the change would impact the wealthiest 0.1 per cent.

There's still some protection for small businesses. There's been a lifetime capital gains exemption which allows Canadians to exempt up to $1,016,836 in capital gains tax-free on the sale of small business shares and farming and fishing property. This June the tax-free limit will be increased to $1.25 million and will continue to be indexed to inflation thereafter, according to the budget.

The federal government estimates this could bring in more than $19 billion over five years, although some analysts are not convinced.

Disability benefit amounts to $200 per month 

Parliament last year passed the Canada Disability Benefit Act, which promised to send a direct benefit to low-income, working-age people with disabilities. 

Budget 2024 proposes funding of $6.1 billion over six years, beginning this fiscal year, and $1.4 billion per year ongoing, for a new Canada Disability Benefit.

Advocates had been hoping for something along the lines of $1,000 per month per person . They'll be disappointed.

According to the budget document, the maximum benefit will amount to $2,400 per year for low income individuals with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64 — about $200 a month.

• Federal government plans to lease public lands for construction through new housing strategy
• Alberta premier says she's prepared to take Ottawa to court over housing deals

The government said it plans for the Canada Disability Benefit Act to come into force in June 2024 and for payments to start in July 2025.

Carbon rebate for small businesses coming 

The federal government has heard an earful from small business advocates who accuse it of reneging on a promise to return a portion of carbon pricing revenues to small businesses to mitigate the tax's economic costs.

• What's behind the carbon tax, and does it work?
• Federal government scales back carbon tax rebates for small businesses

The budget proposes to return fuel charge proceeds from 2019-20 through 2023-24 to an estimated 600,000 businesses with 499 or fewer employees through a new refundable tax credit.

The government said this would deliver $2.5 billion directly to Canada's small- and medium-sized businesses.

Darts and vape pods will cost more 

Pitching it as a measure to cut the number of people smoking and vaping, the Liberals are promising to raise revenues on tobacco and smoking products.

• Just Asking  wants to know:   What questions do you have about quitting smoking or vaping? Do you think sin taxes will encourage smoking cessation?  Fill out the details on  this form  and send us your questions ahead of our show on April 20.

Starting Wednesday, the total tobacco excise duty will be $5.49 per carton. The government estimates this could increase federal revenue by $1.36 billion over five years starting in 2024-25.

The budget also proposes to increase the vaping excise duty rates by 12 per cent effective July 1. That means an increase of 12 to 24 cents per pod, depending on where you live. 

• 'Stay the hell away from our kids': Health minister vows to restrict nicotine pouches — but how?

Ottawa hopes this increase in sin taxes will bring in $310 million over five years, starting in 2024-25.

More money for CBC 

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has mused about redefining the role of the public broadcaster before the next federal election . But before that happens, CBC/Radio-Canada is getting a top-up this year. 

The budget promises $42 million more in 2024-25 for CBC/Radio-Canada for "news and entertainment programming." CBC/Radio-Canada received about $1.3 billion in total federal funding last year.

The government says it's doing this to ensure that Canadians across the country, including rural, remote, Indigenous and minority language communities, have access to independent journalism and entertainment.

Last year, the CBC announced a financial shortfall, cut 141 employees and eliminated 205 vacant positions. In a statement issued Tuesday, CBC spokesperson Leon Mar said the new funding means the corporation can balance its budget "without significant additional reductions this year."

Boost for Canada's spy agency 

As the government takes heat over how it has handled the threat of foreign election interference, it's promising more money to bolster its spy service.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is in line to receive $655.7 million over eight years, starting this fiscal year, to enhance its intelligence capabilities and its presence in Toronto.

• CSIS chief defends his spies' work after PM casts doubt on reliability of agency's reports
• Trudeau says it's his job to question CSIS intelligence, call out 'contradictions'

The budget also promises to guarantee up to $5 billion in loans for Indigenous communities to participate in natural resource development and energy projects in their territories.

These loans would be provided by financial institutions or other lenders and guaranteed by the federal government, meaning Indigenous borrowers who opt in could benefit from lower interest rates, the budget says. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catharine Tunney is a reporter with CBC's Parliament Hill bureau, where she covers national security and the RCMP. She worked previously for CBC in Nova Scotia. You can reach her at [email protected]

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