I’m not a lawyer, but I could probably play one on TV.
After years working as a hashtag#strategist for the Attorney General and now advising executives in crisis management, I’ve spent enough time partnering with lawyers to maybe pass as an extra on Law & Order.
This week, I had the privilege of meeting some soon-to-be real lawyers at Northwestern’s School of Law. Each fall, I visit the campus to guest lecture on the intersection of law, government and politics, and media.
I really enjoy the exercise. The class dives deep into how lawyering, lobbying and PR overlap—and how those tools can be used to advance public policy (or kill it in some cases).
And I get to share my insights from being on the job (and spill a little tea, too) from my years in public service and public affairs to help them prepare for their final project: a mock city council hearing and “live” media interview on a controversial public policy issue.
The challenge? Condensing everything I’ve learned into a one-hour-and-15-minute session. My solution: focus on three core questions to guide their approach to their presentations:
1️⃣ What’s your goal? What are you trying to achieve? What’s the action you want people to take?
2️⃣ Who’s your audience? Who are you really trying to reach and influence?
3️⃣ What’s your headline? What’s the key message you want people to take away?
Whether it’s a law school presentation, a city council meeting, a media interview, or even a job interview, these questions are a decent compass to keep you on track.
Excited to see how the students tackle their final presentations—and grateful for the chance to share what I’ve learned along the way.
This article was written by President Natalie Bauer Luce. Natalie is a seasoned communications and public affairs strategist with extensive experience in government, law, media, politics and business.