Professor Sarah Ubel of the Washburn University Department of Communication has published Credibility Lessening Tactics Utilized in the Courtroom by Male and Female Attorneys, 8 Communication Law Review no. 2, at 42 (2008). Here is the abstract:
“Attorneys utilize Credibility Lessening Tactics (CLT) to make their opposing counsel appear less credible. Survey data were collected from attorneys to identify types of CLT attorneys experience directed at themselves and those they direct at others. Responses were unitized and content analyzed, resulting in the identification of eight CLT categories. The types of CLT attorneys reported included: Case Knowledge, Experience, Truthfulness, Legal Knowledge, Name-Calling, Distractions, Exclusion and Reference Gender. All CLT were equally reported by male and females except Reference Gender, which was reported only by females. Each category is defined, and the implications of using different types of CLT are discussed.”
Tags: Legal rhetoric, Legal communication, Survey methods in legal informatics, Empirical methods in legal informatics, Courtroom communication, Lawyers' communication, Communication Law Review, Credibility Lessening Tactics, CLT, Credibility in law, Communication in litigation, Credibility in legal rhetoric, Ethos in legal rhetoric, Empirical methods in legal communication studies, Survey methods in legal communication studies, Ad hominem, Ad hominem in legal rhetoric, Ad hominem in legal communication, Gender and legal communication, Gender and legal rhetoric, Sarah Ubel, Trial advocacy