Solo/Small Firm • May 2025

On Camera

Tips for lawyers conducting live TV and Zoom interviews.

Written by Mark Annick

More than a decade ago, on camera tips for lawyers focused on traditional broadcast or cable Interviews, the kind where a lawyer is called upon to be the expert, look into the camera from the courthouse steps, and tell the anchor (and the world) what is going on in a legal case. Back then, had you used the word “zoom,” it likely would have been in the context of a fast car or a world-class athlete.

Fast-forward to our post-pandemic world and the ground has shifted. Many of us spend a fair amount of time staring into a camera for Zoom and Teams calls. More than ever then, lawyers can benefit from considering how to do these kinds of interviews better and how to present themselves in the best possible fashion.

Here are some tips for lawyers in these situations:

Adjust your eye contact based on the setting.
In the Zoom era, eye contact is crucial and yet on a regular basis, people too often make one of two mistakes.

Mistake number one—looking at yourself. You are sitting in front of the laptop and there you are on the screen and—what—your hair is out of place? It’s a very natural thing to focus on yourself. Ego is powerful. It’s like walking by a mirror. But don’t do it. If you’re not looking into the camera, but instead are looking at yourself or the interviewer, we can see that. Make sure you know where the lens is on your laptop and speak to it.

Another mistake—looking down on the world. Yes, it’s called a laptop computer, but if you put it in your lap for a Zoom interview, you will be looking down on the lens, looking like the bad guy in a Hitchcock film. The key is to get the laptop and thus, the camera lens, higher. If you need to put the computer or your iPhone on a stack of books or case files, do it.

Check your background.
While the “blur” function may be acceptable for most business-related video calls, that’s not the case for a broadcast interview. In that instance, make sure that whatever is behind you looks professional and uncluttered. That’s something you can easily check, and it’s perfectly fine to ask the reporter if everything looks good before the interview begins.

Be ready to use pre-developed themes as fallback answers.
Doing live interviews requires a tremendous amount of concentration. You need to clear your head of everything else and think only of that subject for the period of time that you’re on the air. But at some point, you may draw a blank. If that happens, don’t panic. Simply use the themes and messages you developed in advance of any media interview, get the bicycle rolling again, and move along.

When you’re in front of the camera, the camera is always “hot.”
Basic rule: any camera that you’re sitting in front of is live. Even if you’re not on the air, someone somewhere in the building could record what you and others are doing and saying during a break. In our modern environment, it’s not at all uncommon for such embarrassing video to find its way to YouTube or other social media platforms.

When you have a microphone on, you should behave as if you were in church.
This is a close cousin of the above. When you have a microphone on, count on everything being heard or rebroadcast later and choose your words accordingly.

Don’t worry about mistakes.
It’s normal and human to misspeak. The audience won’t care unless you crumble as a result. If you stumble verbally, correct yourself and continue on. Don’t allow it to derail you and it won’t derail the viewer.

Keep your energy level up.
The camera tends to rob people of energy. To account for this, look for various means to add energy to the frame. You can boost your energy by gesturing with your hands, raising an eyebrow, or allowing your voice to rise and fall naturally. Do the things you normally would do in speaking with a colleague or friend.

Smile.
Or use whatever expression is appropriate for that part of the discussion. Obviously, you don’t want to grin when discussing a tragedy. But when irony, an interesting twist, or the turn of a phrase might make one smile, go ahead. It’s completely natural and it’s good for your appearance.

Speak to the audience, not the bar.
When you’re doing an interview with other guests—particularly if those other participants are also attorneys—it’s easy to default to technical legal arguments and terms. But remember that most reporters, and certainly most of the people in the audience, never went to law school. Make sure you’re explaining the law and your opinion as clearly as possible to them.

Be yourself.
Don’t overthink the situation. Producers may initially invite guests to conduct live interviews solely based on expertise, but they’ll invite you back if you’re confident, comfortable, and express yourself well.

Showcase what you’ve done.
Any broadcast interview—but especially one in a live setting—is highly effective for posting and linking on your law firm’s website and social media. Search engines place a premium on video, and other producers, reporters, referral sources, and prospective clients are going to notice.

Professional media and marketing firms can be a helpful resource and assist with training sessions, whether for a specific need or case or a more general discussion of the news media environment and how lawyers can effectively interact with reporters.

This article, which originally appeared on the Androvett blog, has been edited and reprinted with permission.

MARK ANNICK is senior vice president of news and public relations at Androvett Legal Media and Marketing.