In the moot court class yesterday I gave a practice oral argument.
My argument bore several deficiencies, mostly having to do with preparation (I'd been so busy trying to sort out the memo that I'd accidentally neglected to focus on a few basic preparatory steps, like actually printing out my argument...) But otherwise I think my argument went well – PARTICULARLY well given these problems. I was cool, calm, collected (or at least much more so than I ever remember being before), and able to clearly and persuasively articulate my position. I also fielded questions from the judges pretty well too. (And given that my argument is not yet fully-fleshed out and complete, it was no small task to be able to gloss over the glaring holes I knew fully well were there.)
I still have things to work on, of course. More eye contact, and I need to punctuate my points better. (Read: answer, then shut up. I seem to fear the silences...) But my greatest triumph is that none of the feedback involved asking me to speak more slowly. Given that EVERY SINGLE* oral presentation in my Copyright and Rhetoric class last year received the feedback that I talked too fast, and given that I know perfectly well that I talk fast and that I LIKE to talk fast, it was quite an accomplishment to not get such feedback this time.
It's not like they weren't paying attention to that facet; my co-counsel was told he talked too fast. But I asked them specifically afterwards, "You didn't think that I talked too fast?"
They said no, and with an expression that queried, "And why ever would you ask?"
I consider it a victory.
* = Actually, in the final presentation my classmates commended me for my vastly slower (and apparently thus improved) diction. So this speed adjustment isn't entirely unprecedented. But if I'd only managed it once it might have seemed an aberration. Twice, it perhaps denotes a trend...