Peer Reflection

In this essay I will reflect upon the observations I have made of my peers’ advocacy and how they have influenced my own advocacy.
I have learnt that the best way to improve my own advocacy is through reflective practice, a theory developed by Schon. I have found Gibbs reflective cycle to be of most relevance since, it is based on the peer review process. By implementing the theories into my reflection and evaluating the effectiveness of different styles of advocacy, I have been able to identify what is good and what is bad advocacy.
Firstly, I have learnt that attendance to seminars and preparation is key to successful advocacy. I have observed students that have rarely attended and others that are always present and hard-working. The difference
This was because she successfully provided an outline and guide to the case incorporating the necessary facts and evidence. I have also, observed Nicole develop her advocacy skills and confidence in a range of situations. Consequently, her delivery was excellent because she was clear, persuasive, and comprehensible.
In the future, I will similarly ensure that my preparation is as thorough as it can be and make the most of any opportunity to practice advocacy. This reflection has also, taught me what should and should not be in an opening speech. Nicole’s content contained what the case is about, what she wanted to prove and how she would prove it. This will help me prepare for my opening speech in the criminal trial.
Secondly, although there are advantages of preparation, relying too heavily on a script is undesirable. Unfortunately, this was a common issue that I observed in criminal advocacy including one that I did myself. I had not realised the negative effect of this until I observed others do it such as Patrick in his closing speech. It proved to be ineffective because it limited Patrick’s engagement and eye-contact with the jury and caused his delivery to be monotonous and
I observed Kristie using cue-cards with brief bullet points on in her closing speech. This was very productive because it meant that she could concentrate on the delivery of her speech rather than reading from a script. Accordingly, Kristie’s had a slow pace and her speech was persuasive and engaging. Therefore, I implemented this into my own advocacy. It was effective since, I received positive feedback on eye-contact and my peers noticed an improvement in my delivery. The cue-cards particularly helped to slow down my pace because I was able to use each cue-card as a pause. I have learnt from my reflection that the use of pauses is significant to add emphasis to key points and allow the jury to have time to hear, understand, and assimilate information. Thus, I will carry on using cue-cards in the