"Mark was my jury consultant through trial, and his help was invaluable. When you're in the thick of it, you can't see the jury - Mark could. He picked up on everything I was missing, which jurors were with us, which had checked out, and what was actually landing. Then he helped me tailor my presentation and understand who my real audience was. I wouldn't want to try another jury case without him."
- Ben J. Himmelstein, Himmelstein & Adkins
Our Methodology
Five Performance Pillars & Ten Observable Performance Competencies for Attorneys©
The attorney's performance is not the message. It is the vehicle through which the message reaches the jury.
Performance, in this context, is not acting. It is the observable expression of an attorney's preparation, judgment, credibility, and intention.
Jurors can only decide the case they receive - not the case the attorney intended to present. Every element of an attorney's performance should faithfully serve that intention, allowing jurors to experience the client's story as clearly, credibly, and authentically as possible.
Persuasive courtroom advocacy is a craft. It depends on observable performance competencies that can be assessed, developed, and refined. When these competencies work together, they reduce distraction, strengthen credibility, and help ensure that the attorney's intended message reaches jurors intact.
Persuasion Arts In Action® methodology is organized around five performance pillars:
- Narrative & Language
- Objective & Alignment
- Voice & Movement
- Orchestration & Investment
- Demeanor & Credibility
These pillars are expressed through ten observable performance competencies:
- Narrative
- Language
- Objective
- Alignment
- Voice & Tone
- Movement & Expression
- Pace & Emphasis
- Orchestration & Investment
- Demeanor
- Credibility
These competencies are not about creating a performance. They are about removing the distractions that interfere with authentic and persuasive communication.
Through assessment, coaching, and applied practice, attorneys develop greater awareness and command of their performance, allowing their authentic advocacy and intended message to reach jurors with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.
The purpose is straightforward:
To communicate your client's story so clearly, credibly, and authentically that jurors understand the case, trust the advocate, and are equipped to deliberate with confidence.
From Preparation To Performance
Founded by Mark Bauman in 2005, Persuasion Arts In Action® is a Trial Performance Consulting practice that applies decades of experience in communication, storytelling, performance, and advocacy to help attorneys strengthen how their cases are experienced by judges and juries.
Through witness preparation, jury selection consulting, courtroom observation, and trial performance coaching, we help attorneys align case strategy, communication, and courtroom performance so their intended message reaches jurors with greater clarity, credibility, and impact.
A Boutique Practice
Persuasion Arts In Action® works with a limited number of attorneys and firms, allowing each engagement to receive focused attention, candid feedback, and practical application.
Whether preparing for a high-stakes trial or developing stronger communication skills across a litigation team, our approach is customized to the needs of each client and case.
Mark Bauman
President & Founder
My career has been devoted to studying communication under observation - from the rehearsal studio and stage to the boardroom and courtroom. Although the settings differ, the principles remain the same: audiences and juries respond to authenticity, clarity, intention, and credible human behavior.
My approach combines more than 25 years of experience in performance, education, communication coaching, and trial consulting to help attorneys understand and strengthen how their advocacy is experienced by judges and juries.
Selected Credentials & Training
- Diploma, Teacher Training Program in Advocacy Skills - National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA)
- Frequent CLE Presenter for the State Bar of Arizona, including Featured Speaker at the 2014 CLE by the Sea Conference in San Diego, CA
- Certificate in Project Leadership & Project Management - Cornell University
- Diploma awarded by the École Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris Marcel Marceau following a three-year conservatory program in physical theatre, acting, directing, world theatre traditions, and nonverbal performance; one of only four Americans to receive the diploma.
- Member, SAG-AFTRA