Through games, voice and movement exercises, improvisation and scriptwork, participants can hope to hone their ability to read and address a room effectively when under pressure.
Emma will teach skills developed during her acting career that help improve oral advocacy, including the ‘grab n go’ sight-reading method to lift oral submissions off the page, vocal techniques for better projection, enunciation, and intonation, and physical stagecraft.
These sessions are for anyone who would like to develop their public-speaking skills — whether those with no, or little, public-speaking experience or those with lots of experience, who would like to try new techniques. Sessions provide a space to play, practice, feel out of one’s depth, fail spectacularly and come back for more (perfect exposure therapy for a career at the bar…) [Please wear something you can move in / gymwear or similar]
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Emma Darlow StearnEmma Darlow Stearn (Emma Darlow) is an award-winning barrister practising at Cloisters Chambers. Emma has a broad trial, appellate, and advisory practice, across disciplines in employment, equality and discrimination, human rights, personal injury, clinical negligence, and commercial law. Prior to coming to the bar, Emma worked for more than a decade as a professional actress, musician, and musical director, including shows at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and in the West End, at regional theatres across the UK, Europe and the USA, and for Paramount Pictures, Channel 5 and BBC Radio 3. |
Event details
Location: Bingham Room
Date and registration time: Friday 24 October, 6.15pm
Who can attend: Open to student members only.
Dress Code: Casual
Cost: £8
Booking
Attendees of the Advocacy and Voice Workshops will be contacted by the Education Team
Please note that students can only book one workshop. If more than one booking is made, extra bookings will be cancelled and a QS will not be awarded
Book online via the Gray’s Inn Online System (GIOS)
Booking opens: 01/10/2025
Booking closes: 20/10/2025
Qualifying Sessions
Qualifying Session (QS): 1 QS
Theme: Advocacy Skills, Preparation for Pupillage, Career Development and Wellbeing
Learning aims:
1. Participate in exercises and activities to build confidence in terms of oral advocacy and public speaking
2. Consider strategies and approaches to develop voice and presence
3. Discuss strategies for dealing with nerves and anxiety before public speaking
This QS relates to the following elements of the Professional Statement for Barristers: 1.8, 1.9, 1.11, 1.15, 1.17, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4
Preparation required: No
Interactive: Yes