Use Simple Words When Talking to a Jury
Of course, this is pounded into us repeatedly. Talk like a person and not a lawyer. Don’t use a big word when a small word will do. It is better to get your themes from People magazine and the Enquirer than from Plato and Charles Dickens. It doesn’t matter how fancy you are if no one knows what you’re talking about. I was reminded about that when I ran across this great quote from David Ogilvy, the advertising giant of Madison Avenue:
I once used the word OBSOLETE in a headline, only to discover that 43 per cent of housewives had no idea what it meant. In another headline, I used the word INEFFABLE, only to discover that I didn't know what it meant myself.
Yep. Keep it simple. Keep it short.
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