On Nov. 19, 1863, 150 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. It was 271 words. Lawyers can learn from its brevity and persuasive powers.
No. 1: Create a strong establishing shot. The first scene in a movie is the establishing shot— think “Casablanca” or the original “The Godfather.” The same is true in a presentation. Lincoln invoked the Bible and the Declaration of Independence: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
