ANALYSIS: Many Remote Lawyers Struggle to Read Body Language

Remote hearings have given lawyers plenty of headaches since the pandemic started, and inhibiting their ability to read body language is one of the more problematic obstacles, a recent survey shows. However, there are steps lawyers can take to make interpreting nonverbal cues in a virtual setting a bit easier.

In Bloomberg Law’s 2021 Remote Practice Survey, 68% of respondents reported that they attended remote hearings, and most of those (84%) said they have experienced challenges with the new medium. And the majority of those who experienced challenges (59%) reported having trouble interpreting body language and facial expressions. Unsurprisingly, ...