If You Can’t Tell the Story, You Can’t Win the Argument: Persuasion Strategies Every Lawyer Must Master
Paul Rakowicz is a Certified Roger Love Method™ Vocal Coach and the author of Sounds of Impact: How to Speak with Confidence, Authenticity, and Purpose. With 40 years of executive leadership experience, Paul now coaches professionals to unlock the full potential of their voice. His work blends vocal technique, emotional clarity, and strategic storytelling to help speakers move audiences and lead with impact.
Karen Koehler is the managing partner of the Stritmatter Firm in Washington State. She is a past president of the Washington State Assn for Justice and also received its trial lawyer of the year award. She received the same award from the Marvin Belli Assn. Her 40 year career has included significant trial victories including the $123M verdict in Dihn et al v. Ride the Ducks (2019), and a $44M verdict in a motorcycle v. vehicle crash (2022).
2 hour CLE
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Program Summary
Session I - Persuasive Impact Through Trial Storytelling – Karen Koehler
Storytelling makes the human world go round. And probably has since the beginning of time. We learn and are entertained by stories. We read them in books, listen to them in podcasts, and watch them on our electronic devices. In trials, competing stories play out. The challenge is to present the winning narrative. The one that is most believable and compelling. The one that is most persuasive and rings true. Using storytelling concepts in trial helps hold the attention of the audience. They are essential to help frame the issues and evidence for the fact finder.
Key topics to be discussed:
- Determining the theme
- Developing the plot line and related evidence
- Organizing the presentation to maximize persuasive appeal
- Using creativity in presentation techniques, from narration to demonstrative evidence
Session II - The Art of Storytelling for Lawyers: How to Speak with Presence, Persuasion, and Precision – Paul Rakowicz
Great lawyers don’t just present facts, they move juries, judges, and clients through the power of story. But even the best-written argument can fall flat if it’s delivered without vocal presence and emotional connection. In this session, executive communication coach and corporate leader Paul Rakowicz shares practical techniques to help attorneys elevate their courtroom voice, connect with juries, and present cases with calm authority and persuasive impact. Combining decades of leadership with vocal mastery, Paul equips legal professionals with the tools to turn their voice into their most strategic asset.
Key topics to be discussed:
- Pacing, pausing & emphasis: How to guide attention and build persuasive rhythm
- Tone variation for engagement: Keeping juries and judges actively listening
- Vocal presence: Commanding the room without raising your voice
- Articulation & clarity: Speaking with precision under pressure
- Emotional connection: Making your voice a conduit for truth, not just information
This course is co-sponsored with myLawCLE.
Date / Time: August 25, 2025
- 1:00 pm – 3:10 pm Eastern
- 12:00 pm – 2:10 pm Central
- 11:00 am – 1:10 pm Mountain
- 10:00 am – 12:10 pm Pacific
Closed-captioning available
Speakers
Paul Rakowicz | Paul Rakowicz Vocal Coaching
Paul Rakowicz is a Certified Roger Love Method™ Vocal Coach and the author of Sounds of Impact: How to Speak with Confidence, Authenticity, and Purpose. With 40 years of executive leadership experience, Paul now coaches professionals to unlock the full potential of their voice. His work blends vocal technique, emotional clarity, and strategic storytelling to help speakers move audiences and lead with impact. Known for his calm authority and soul-rooted coaching style, Paul helps legal professionals stop performing and start connecting—so their voice leads with clarity, conviction, and power.
Karen Koehler | Stritmatter Law
Karen Koehler is the managing partner of the Stritmatter Firm in Washington State. She is a past president of the Washington State Assn for Justice and also received its trial lawyer of the year award. She received the same award from the Marvin Belli Assn. Her 40 year career has included significant trial victories including the $123M verdict in Dihn et al v. Ride the Ducks (2019), and a $44M verdict in a motorcycle v. vehicle crash (2022). She has tried sensational cases including a wrongful death by murder case that was the subject of a TV crime show. And she has handled cases that have changed State Law such as Ethel Adams v. Farmers, where the insurer denied a UIM claim to a bystander victim of road rage resulting in the legislature passing the Ethel Adams Act prohibiting such denials.
Agenda
Session I – Persuasive Impact Through Trial Storytelling | 1:00pm – 2:00pm
- Determining the theme
- Developing the plot line and related evidence
- Organizing the presentation to maximize persuasive appeal
- Using creativity in presentation techniques, from narration to demonstrative evidence
Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm
Session II – The Art of Storytelling for Lawyers: How to Speak with Presence, Persuasion, and Precision | 2:10pm – 3:10pm
- Pacing, pausing & emphasis: How to guide attention and build persuasive rhythm
- Tone variation for engagement: Keeping juries and judges actively listening
- Vocal presence: Commanding the room without raising your voice
- Articulation & clarity: Speaking with precision under pressure
- Emotional connection: Making your voice a conduit for truth, not just information
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