Seattle, WA – 2025  With experience that stretches from courtroom advocacy to national legal training and academic teaching, Ronald H. Clark solidifies his position as one of the most influential voices in persuasive communication with the publication of two highly regarded professional guides: Powerful Presentation Handbook and Addressing the Jury: Opening Statement and Closing Argument.

These titles, while different in their emphasis, have a common vision: to instruct professionals  particularly lawyers, teachers, and public speakers  on how to engage with their audience, develop persuasive messages, and present them with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Clark, Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at Seattle University School of Law, reaches across decades of teaching lawyers of every level, from new law students to veteran federal prosecutors. His reach has been felt in classrooms, courtrooms, and CLE courses nationwide.

"You can't win a room with information alone," Clark writes. "You need emotion. You need story. You need purpose."

Two Books, One Purpose: Concise, Ethical, and Effective Communication

In Powerful Presentation Handbook, Clark presents a step-by-step approach to successful speaking from creating structure to employing rhetorical techniques, gaining command of body language, and dealing with stage presence. This book is not for lawyers alone; it's for professionals across the board who must chair meetings, deliver data, or give conference presentations.

Speaking to the Jury, however, focuses on one of the most intense settings for communication: the courtroom. With chapters on writing opening statements, presenting closing argument, and understanding juror psychology, the book demystifies trial advocacy and makes it human-sized. It teaches lawyers how to tell stories that count, present legal themes that resonate, and communicate with authority in the heat of the moment.

Together, the books constitute a roadmap for persuasive communication based on both classical rhetoric and contemporary practice.

A Combination of Classic Oratory and Legal Realism

What distinguishes Clark's book from others is his skill at merging theory with practice. Both books rely heavily on practical examples such as Barack Obama's Inaugural Address, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and Gerry Spence's famous trial triumphs. In Addressing the Jury, readers discover in-depth analysis of famous cases like Novell v. Microsoft and the Zacarias Moussaoui 9/11 terrorism trial.

All the while, Powerful Presentation Handbook dares readers to discover their voice, construct arguments with Aristotle's timeless appeals (ethos, logos, pathos), and gain control through word pictures, metaphors, and narrative skills. Corporate leaders to prospective keynote speakers, Clark addresses anyone seeking to lead with words.

Extensively Used in Law School and Professional Development

Already available in use among law school classrooms and legal education seminars, Clark's handbooks are gathering ardent followings among CLE course planners, litigation educators, and bar associations across the country. Trial teams are integrating his checklists and story models into their prep practice, while businesspeople are embracing his techniques to deliver with authority and credibility.

Clark's work fills an increasingly vacant space in professional and legal education the need for down-to-earth advice on persuasive communication that honors both intellect and ethics.

About the Author

Ronald H. Clark is an experienced trial advocacy teacher, legal strategist, and Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at Seattle University School of Law. He is a former senior faculty member at the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina, where he instructed thousands of prosecutors and litigators. A recognized expert on courtroom communication and persuasive strategy, Clark continues to shape the future of advocacy education throughout the United States.

Powerful Presentation Handbook and Addressing the Jury are both available now through Amazon and other large online bookstores.

Amazon: Powerful Presentation Handbook

Author: Ronald H. Clark