Improv skills that make lawyers better in court and life

Listening, adaptability and quick thinking aren’t typically taught in law school, but two professionals argue they should be. They say improv training can sharpen courtroom performance, client negotiations and overall well-being. Mike Marbach, founder of Crossroads Comedy in Indianapolis, and Michael Murphy, a clinical law professor at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, created a continuing legal education program built on improv exercises. The course links each exercise to legal practice, covering active listening, the “yes, and” approach to negotiation, emotional authenticity in court and projecting expertise on short notice.They also address a common hurdle for attorneys: dropping a rigid professional persona to fully engage in learning. Murphy, a former trial lawyer and in-house counsel, says improv-based CLEs outperform traditional lecture formats and help lawyers stay present and recover when proceedings go off track.