Building Executive Presence Is a Learnable Skill for Lawyers

A junior law firm partner vented some frustration during one of our coaching sessions, saying, “I’ve been told to work on my executive presence, but no one could explain what that means or how to do it.”

Unfortunately, this is a common experience. Lawyers receive vague feedback about presence, confidence, or polish—without any real guidance on what’s expected or how to improve.

The term “executive presence” gets used often, but it’s rarely defined with practical precision. We’re led to believe that presence is some abstract quality you’re either born with or will never have, but that’s a myth. While some have a natural social confidence or emotional regulation that helps, executive presence is a set of observable behaviors—and it can be learned.

Having leadership presence matters more than ever for lawyers. As artificial intelligence continues to take on more legal research, drafting, and analysis, human presence has become one of the clearest differentiators.

Decisions are moving faster and involving more stakeholders. Clients will have basic answers from AI; they need their lawyers to synthesize information, translate to plain-English interpretations, and provide a risk-weighted path forward. Lawyers have to learn to influence without over-lawyering—offering clarity and restraint, not long exhaustive analysis.

Clients and colleagues aren’t just evaluating your technical skill. They’re asking: Do I trust this person’s judgment? Do they communicate clearly? Can they stay grounded when in tense situations? These are questions about your presence, not your intellect.

Through managing, mentoring, coaching, and training lawyers—from Big Law partners to in-house counsel—I’ve landed on a framework for thinking about executive presence in a way that’s actionable. I focus on three key behavioral dimensions I call the pillars of presence: credibility, connection, and composure.

Executive presence too often is reduced to discussions that emphasize appearance over substance and that pigeonhole people into stereotypes. The pillars of presence aren’t defined by your professional grooming or clothes, or whether you speak with dramatic flair. They’re about how others experience you in critical moments of communication and decision-making.

Credibility is about expertise and clarity. It shows up in whether you lead with your point, whether you speak in plain English (please hold the fancy legal jargon when presenting to nonlawyer clients), and whether you sound like you trust your own judgment.

Connection is about how others feel in your presence—respected, understood, and included in the conversation.

Composure is about your ability to stay steady when the stakes are high. It’s not about never displaying emotion; it’s about remaining calm and controlled in a way that gives others confidence.

What often derails presence, especially in legal culture, are behaviors that start from good intentions: overexplaining, hedging, and focusing solely on logic while ignoring the emotional context. Lawyers are trained to be precise, nuanced, cautious, and detail oriented. Yet when those habits show up in client conversations or team leadership moments, they can cloud your message, reduce trust, and dilute your influence.

The good news is that you can strengthen your presence through small and deliberate actions rather than personality overhauls or pretending to be someone you’re not.

For example, lead with your recommendation rather than building up to it. Pause for breath before key points. Eliminate filler language such as “just,” “actually,” or “I think” when you already know what you mean. Acknowledge the emotions in the room—yours or others’—when they’re clearly shaping the conversation.

These are strategies you can incorporate over time. They work because they’re grounded in how people interpret leadership in real time. People trust you more when you communicate with clarity, when you stay grounded, and when client and colleagues feel seen in your presence. They follow your lead, and they call again when the next matter arises.

This kind of professional growth doesn’t usually happen in a vacuum; it happens with feedback, reflection, and practice. Coaching often makes the difference.

I’ve seen lawyers grow from overlooked to trusted, from reactive to composed, from smart-but-unclear to incredibly influential. Coaching will help each individual lawyer figure out which of the three pillars they need to lean in on to grow more, which will allow their smarts, strengths, and skills to shine clearly and be the lever they need to get to next rung of success.

Those looking to build stronger executive or leadership presence for themselves, their team, or their firm have resources at their disposal. A training workshop can create a shared language and spark reflection. One-on-one executive coaching offers more personalized guidance and accountability. Both paths can help identify areas for improvement.

Executive presence can be practiced, refined, and aligned with your values and goals. If you’re a lawyer who wants to lead with more than just expertise, it starts with one clear step: choosing to continue to grow.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax, and Bloomberg Government, or its owners.

Author Information

Jamie Kohen is a lawyer, certified executive coach, and leadership trainer who works with attorneys and professionals across law firms, legal departments, and other companies.

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