The Pitt News, Applied Improv For Lawyers Course Takes Novel Approach to Teaching Future Lawyers:

Third-year law student Emma Ryan felt excited to take Applied Improv for Lawyers with Professor Ben Bratman after hearing it would combine her passion for theatre with her goal of becoming a lawyer.

“The skills related to theatre and lawyering have a surprising amount of crossover,” Ryan said. “I was excited to try a new, interactive class that could be both fun and challenging that integrated another interest of mine.”

Bratman currently teaches 19 students in his Applied Improv for Lawyers class at Pitt’s law school. The class is structured in two ways — either a circular discussion or “on your feet” exercises, which consist of different improv scenarios. Bratman said he begins each class with warm-up exercises that focus on active listening, eye contact and paying attention to non-verbal communication. He conducts these exercises in either a large or small group of students.

“Just like the improv performer who goes onto the stage alone to start a scene gets support from a teammate who comes out soon after to join the scene, each of my students who steps out in an exercise needs and gets support from their classmates,” Bratman said.

Bratman decided to create the Applied Improv for Lawyers class after noticing the connection between improv comedy and lawyering. Bratman said he is a fan of improv comedy because humor develops “organically” from scenes made up on the spot.

“Five years ago, I read a bit about the concept of ‘applied improv,’ the idea that techniques used by improv performers could be harnessed to help people in applied settings,” Bratman said. “Not with a goal of doing a performance on stage or being funny, but rather with a goal of becoming more confident and comfortable with themselves, in relations with others, and in their work.”

Bratman began taking improv courses in 2018 and quickly realized that he could use what he learned to both improve his performance as a professor and help students prepare for the demands of the law field.

“I became a much more confident, more relaxed and better teacher,” Bratman said. “I decided I wanted to try to help law students get that same benefit as future lawyers. I think this is especially important when we consider the very stressful, high-pressure environment that prevails in much of the legal profession and in the more traditional law school classroom.”

ABA, How Improv Can Improve Your Legal Skills:

Summary

• Lawyers can benefit from improv classes, which enhance listening skills and encourage the “yes, and” approach of responding positively to others, fostering collaboration.
• Improv can help lawyers overcome self-consciousness and focus on others.
• The legal profession often rewards competitiveness and hierarchy, but improv teaches effective teamwork. The skills acquired from improv can benefit lawyers in brainstorming and team engagement. 

See also New York Times, What Standup Comedy And Deaning Have In Common (Jan. 22, 2023)