Pedagogical and Psychological Settings for Training of Student Lawyers in Framed Professional Communication

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify how the training of student lawyers in message framing influences their professional written and verbal communication proficiency. The study used qualitative research methods such as observations and focus groups to yield the data for the analysis. The focus group was used to obtain feedback from the sampled students concerning the training in framing messages. The study found that a specifically structured instructional model that relied on a ‘bolt-on’ module in message framing delivered throughout the entire elective course in Legal Rhetoric positively influenced students’ professional written and verbal communication proficiency. The data drawn from observations showed that students' abilities to use functional language and language rules increased throughout the training. When rating the activities for training in framing messages that are useful for lawyers, the observers mentioned five framing message activities seen as the most effective. Those were as follows: gain and loss, storytelling, WASP, call-to-action, ethos, and pathos. Gain and loss, ethos and pathos, and storytelling were rated by the observers higher than WASP and call-to-action. These were considered by the observers to be the most appropriate for the lawyer job context. Data relating to students’ general impressions of training in framing messages showed that they found this training interesting and engaging, practically useful for their jobs.

Received: 14 April 2021 / Accepted: 5 July 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021