PORT MORESBY, 1 October 2026 – Student lawyers at the Legal Training Institute (LTI) were encouraged to develop strong advocacy skills when Justice Nicholas Cooper a Judge of the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea delivered a lecture on “Advocacy 101”, highlighting the importance of communication, preparation and persuasion in legal practice.
Drawing on his experience in criminal law, prosecution, defence advocacy and judicial service, Justice Cooper shared practical insights into the skills required of effective advocates and reminded students that advocacy is fundamentally about communicating a message clearly and persuasively.
“Advocacy is really about getting your message across. There’s no mystery to it, there’s no magic to it. There is some practice to it.”
Justice Cooper encouraged students to approach courtroom appearances with confidence, describing advocacy as the culmination of years of study and preparation.
“The time will come when you get to stand up, and that means your moment has arrived. It’s a hard thing to do at first, but you’ve got to try and enjoy it, take your time and relish it a little bit. It’s what you’ve all been studying for.”
A central message of the lecture was the need for advocates to communicate clearly and avoid unnecessarily complex legal language. Justice Cooper advised students to focus on making their arguments easy for judges and others to understand.
“Think about just talking to your audience, getting the words across and getting the message across.”
Justice Cooper also emphasised that advocacy begins long before entering the courtroom. His Honour explained that successful advocates must be prepared, observant and engaged from the outset of a case, whether interacting with clients, witnesses, court staff or opposing counsel.
The lecture also explored effective preparation and cross-examination techniques. Justice Cooper highlighted the value of careful planning, strategic questioning and the use of available resources to assist courts in understanding evidence and case facts.
The session forms part of LTI’s ongoing efforts to equip future lawyers with the practical skills, professional competence and ethical foundations required for effective legal practice and service to Papua New Guinea’s justice sector.