How to be a Roman Lawyer

In this blog post, Cicero shares valuable tips and tricks on how to be an effective ancient Roman lawyer. Discover the inner workings of the Roman judicial system and learn how to argue persuasively in court. Whether you're a law student or a history enthusiast, this post is a must-read for anyone interested in the legal practices of ancient Rome.

Greetings, here is my advice to become an accomplished lawyer like myself.

Firstly, an education in the liberal arts is the foundation for a good lawyer. I studied poetry, oratory, and Greek among other things as a student which put me in a phenomenal position to pursue law. It is crucial to be well-educated in the art of speaking and rhetoric to be a good lawyer. Your job is to bring the judges to your side and to do so you must be able to convey your points in the most convincing way possible. For me, I studied rhetoric in Rhodes in 78 BC which helped me improve my craft significantly. Also, you must be very well educated in Roman Law. Study the twelve tables published in 449 BC that are the foundation of our legal system and other laws that have been passed. It is also important to study important Roman cases (civil and criminal) to further your understanding of how trials work.

Now that you've studied up, you're ready for court. Here's how a court case would go:

First, the plaintiff brings his case to a magistrate who would summon the defendant and then commence the preliminary hearing. In the preliminary hearing, the plaintiff would state their claim, the defense would provide a statement, and a judge would be chosen. Then the matter would advance to a trial. The magistrate would draw 50-75 names at random to sit on the jury while the judge would keep order during the trial. The jury's job was to determine the guilt of the defendant as well as an acceptable punishment for the crime committed. During the trial, both parties would plead their cases starting with the defense, and then the jury would come up with a verdict.

Going into the trial, I highly recommend spending time writing your speech and practicing it. It is crucial to be able to know everything you're going to talk about beforehand. In your preparation, you must make sure to not only cover what you have to argue for your client, but also you must look to poke holes in the opposition's argument and defend against it. In one trial when I defended Caelio, I deflected attention off of my client by engaging in character assassination of one of the key witnesses (the prosecutor's sister).

Here's an expert from my speech:

"...But if on the contrary aside from that woman their case against Caelius is deprived of all strength and foundation, what else can I do as an advocate but repel those who press the assault? Which I would do all the more vehemently if I did not have cause for ill-feeling toward that woman's lover-I am sorry; I meant to say "brother." I am always making that slip. But now I will handle her with moderation, and proceed no further than my honor and the case itself demand. I have never thought it right to take up arms against a lady, especially against one whose arms are so open to all."

You can already imagine the audience was like "oooooo"

I wholeheartedly believe that it was because of my great oratory skills and ability to deflect attention from my client that I was able to get him acquitted of murder, accepting bribes, destruction of property, and inciting political violence charges.

My parting words with you are that you must never stop learning and perfecting your craft. Each trial gives you a lesson that you can remember for trials to come. Don't be afraid to fight for what's right and when you do, try your absolute best to win. I hope this post has been helpful to you and good luck on your journey!

-Marcus Tullius Cicero