In this era where celebrities are revered and the super-wealthy envied, it’s easy to forget how such individuals are perceived once in the Courtroom.

Certainly, some celebrities and mega-billionaires have retained their essential “human-ness” despite their fame. Dick Van Dyke and Dolly Parton come to mind, but too many who’ve found themselves propelled into fame and fortune are apt to become arrogant. As in “I’m better than you, you lowly person. You are hardly worth my notice.”  Not a good attitude to have when about to be judged by a jury of regular “lowly” people!

Many of you are saddled with arrogant clients or witnesses, and many times I’ve been called in to help prepare them for trial, because they always rub jurors the wrong way. The “fix” is remarkably simple.

Arrogance is expressed through body language, vocal tone, and patterns of response. An arrogant person’s body is often canted back, their chin tilted slightly up as if looking down their nose at others. Their tone is condescending, full of dismissive utterances and sarcasm. Their responses fail to consider jurors’ different levels of education or sophistication.

All of these determents are easily corrected by first, an appeal to the arrogant individual’s desire to do well, even brilliantly (a consequence of their narcissism), followed by a hefty dose of role play.

This preparation will not alter the truth or substance of their testimony one iota. It does, however, alter your witness’s presentation on the stand so jurors can perceive beyond your witness’s arrogance to what’s important: the substance of their testimony.