Why Your Physical Presence Shapes Juror Engagement More Than You Realize

In trial, your voice matters—but it’s not the only thing doing the talking.

Your hands, your posture, and your gestures are all part of the message. And used intentionally, they don’t just decorate your delivery—they support comprehension, reduce cognitive load, and build connection.

If it's hard to just stand still, but also hard to not feel like you're flailing around when you gesture, you're not alone. You can't help but feel awkward when no one has shown you what effective gestures looks like. This skill is often overlooked in courtroom communication training.

Today’s post walks you through why gestures matter, how to use them effectively, and what the neuroscience says about movement and memory.

Gestures Are Visual Anchors for Auditory Learning

Most people are visual learners. But in the courtroom, visual support for learning is limited. In deliberations, jurors are left only to their memory of YOU and your presentation.

That means they’re relying on your voice, tone, and physical presence to stay oriented and absorb what you're saying.

This is where gestures come into play.

When your hand movements align with your words, they help the brain create visual representations of abstract ideas. According to research from Dr. Susan Goldin-Meadow at the University of Chicago, gesture not only enhances comprehension but also supports memory retention—especially for people processing dense or unfamiliar information.

👉 Gestures help organize thought.

👉 Gestures reduce processing effort.

👉 Gestures help jurors remember.

But only when they’re used intentionally.

The Science of Movement and Attention

Movement catches attention—especially when it’s congruent with speech.

According to a 2020 study in NeuroImage, meaningful gestures activate both auditory and visual cortices, creating multi-sensory integration that improves recall and strengthens neural connections. That means jurors are more likely to remember what you said if your body backed it up.

⚠️ But random or fidgety movement?

That just creates noise.

3 Courtroom-Ready Gestures That Support Your Message

Here are three intentional gestures—based on communications research and clinical psychology—you can begin incorporating into your trial work right away:

1. The Leveller

👐 Palms facing downward, held away from the body

This gesture communicates groundedness, certainty, and calm authority. Use it when delivering rules, conclusions, or facts you want jurors to “settle” into.

✔️ Works well during: expert explanations, damages summaries, key conclusions.

2. The Placater

🤲 Palms up, held softly in front of the body

Conveys openness, empathy, and emotional transparency. Use it when inviting jurors to consider a perspective, acknowledge vulnerability, or connect to values.

✔️ Works well during: voir dire, emotional turning points, humanizing your client.

3. The Marker

🤏 A single hand gesture used to “place” an idea in space

Marking helps jurors visually organize your narrative. Assign ideas, parties, or places to spatial zones. And be consistent. Changing up which hand you use for phrases, people, or places forces jurors to mentally re-sort, which interrupts their attention. Forcing them into their problem-solving spot, even for a second or two, means they're not listening to YOU.

✔️ Works well during: story-building, timelines, contrasting evidence.

Movement Without Distraction: Key Boundaries

For gestures to land effectively, they need to be:

1. Visible – stay between the belt line and eye line

2. Purposeful – not habitual or nervous

3. Still when needed – silence and stillness have impact too

Avoid:

1. Pocket hands

2. Shoulder shrugs or fidgeting

3. Over-gesturing above the head (unless conveying size or scale), or below the waist

“But This Feels Fake…” (Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Let's discuss)

Trying new gestures may feel awkward at first. That doesn’t mean it’s inauthentic—it just means it’s unfamiliar. Just like with any new skill or tactic, intentionally gesturing is a skill you have to develop & build. With practice, it becomes fluid, natural, and part of your expression vocabulary.

And remember: you’re not choreographing, you're not performing. You’re building connection and helping folks learn more efficiently.

The Body and Voice Are Interconnected

Your gestures aren’t separate from your vocal delivery—they’re deeply connected. In my years of coaching singers, I frequently reminded them that "external gestures trigger internal responses." So, using lifted gestures, like the Placater, inevitably brightens and lifts your voice and countenance.

Ans sometimes gestures actually help you form your thoughts and figure out what you're going to say. Research shows that gestures come before you actually can get the words out. Your hands often “know” what you mean before your mouth catches up.

As speaker and coach Vinh Giang puts it:

“Your body moves your voice. Your voice moves your body.”

The more they’re in sync, the more immersive and memorable your message becomes.

Engagement = Memory

When jurors are engaged with your physicality, they tend to stay mentally present. Movement—when aligned with speech—signals that something matters. It tantalizes their attention, and makes it more likely they’ll remember what you've said. Your gestures help to imprint your message in their brain.

Every time you stand to speak, ask:

1. Are my hands working in service of this message?

2. Am I reinforcing meaning—or adding noise?

3. Could I use movement to help jurors track and retain?

Start with Awareness

You don’t have to overhaul your delivery overnight. Start with awareness.

🟩 What are your hands doing when you speak?

🟨 Are they helping… or hiding?

🟥 Are they frozen, fidgeting, or forgotten?

Practice during your prep. Layer intentional gesture into your rehearsals—not just on game day. The more often you try, the more your gestures will feel like you.

Want to Go Deeper?

If you found this helpful, share it with a colleague—or listen to the full episode on the Foster Your Voice Podcast.

Until next time…

Be generous with your body. Let your voice and hands speak together. And keep fostering your voice.