Representing yourself is almost never a good idea. This is true no matter how well you may speak publicly, or – indeed – even if you are an attorney. There is an old saying that “an attorney who represents himself, has a fool for a client.” This is true in many ways. Having someone else, other than yourself, get up and vigorously defend you allows you to peacefully sit back and maintain your composure. This ALWAYS comes across better to the judge and jury. On the other hand, when a person gets up and defends himself or herself, that person is almost always emotionally vested in the situation, and this impairs his or her ability to provide a defense.

In fact, the more eloquent a speaker may be, the more a judge or jury may tend to interpret that ability as arrogance. Winning a case is not about dazzling the jury or judge. In fact, any attempts to do this, often result in the opposite outcome.

In the end, it is certainly possible to represent yourself successfully, at smaller hearings, such as when dealing with a minor traffic or speeding ticket. Anything more substantial than this, and we can unequivocally say you will fair much better if you hire an attorney. Even wise attorneys hire other attorneys to represent them, when needed, rather than representing themselves.