LAUGHTER AND HUMOUR FOR LAW SCHOOLS

Presentationby

Maj. Gen. Nilendra Kumar,Director,

Amity Law School, Noida

Law professionals carry out their functions by use of

communications.

A law professional, be it an attorney, judge, briefing counsel or jurist has to convey his point across to the bench, witness, jury, client or the opposite party.

Therefore, he has to be an effective communicator.

A legal brief is often

serious in contents replete with technical matters and often factual details. One, who can see humour or fun in it, would succeed in making an impression.

Communication has to be brief, clear and

effective.

A law student or a budding lawyer should try to

inculcate a sense of humour early in

his career.

Gandhi on Humour

If I had no sense of humour, I would long ago havecommitted suicide.

What are the various terms associated with humour

and laughter.

Laughermeans

1. The act of laughing2. The sound produced by

laughing.3. An expression or

appearance of merriment.

Laughter is a part of universal

human vocabulary.

Humour

relates to the quality of being

funny.

It conveys a comic, absurd or

incongruous quality causing amusement.

Wit

A form of intelligent humour,

the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny.

Reparteeimplies

a sharp or witty remark made as

a reply.

It is the skill in making sharp witty replies.

Self Humour

is the act of belittling or under

valuing oneself.

MimicryThe art of imitation

practiced by professional comedians

who impersonate famous people

on stage.

It is meant to make fun of the

thing imitated.

Mimicry may take the form of

mockery or parody on one hand, and impersonation

on the other.

One Liner

A short joke or witticism, usually expressed in a

single sentence.

A one liner is a joke in which

the set up and punch line are

in one statement.

Examples of one liners

1. I never forget a face, but in your case, I would be glad to make an exception.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt

you. But it is still on the list.

Humorous one liners

1. Life is unsure,always eat your dessert first.

2. Marriage is one of the chief causes of divorce.

3. Smile, it makes people wonder what you are thinking.

4. If I agreed with you, we would both be wrong.

5. I did not say it was your

fault, I said I was blaming

you.

Joker

one who tells or plays jokes

Clown

A clown is a comic performer who

employs slapstick physical

humour. The comedy performed by a clown is that of a fool.

Mono Actingmeans

the art of acting a play by a

single actor/person.

Cartoonis a drawing depicting a humorous situation,

often accompanied by a

caption.

Satire

is the use of ridicule, irony or

sarcasm in exposing, denouncing or deriding vice,

folly etc.

Witty Quotes

1. Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

2. Never interrupt your enemy when is making a mistake.

3. The devil can cite scripture

for his purpose.

Winston ChurchillQuotes

1. There is no such thing as a good tax.

2. A fanatic is one who cannot change his mind and will not change the subject.

3. If you are going to go through

hell, keep going.4. History will be kind to me

for I intend to write it.

Charles Chaplin Quotes

1. You will never find a rainbow if you are looking down.

2. I always like walking in the rain, so no one can see me crying.

3. It is kind of fun to do the impossible.

4. Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age.

And dreams are forever.

Humour and wit can only be

used with advantage by a counsel who has complete grasp of the facts and applicable law.

Wit and humour may be made

a habit with regular practice.

Humour and laughter can break tension and remove stress.

Benefits of humour and laughter

1. Reduced stress2. Increased creativity3. Improved problem solving

competence.

5. Enhanced memory6. Increased self esteem

and resilience7. Bonding with colleagues

and friends

To cultivate a sense of humour

1. Regain your smile2. Reward yourself

frequently with comedy movies and literature

3. Find humour in your most embarrassing moments4. Write funny comments on facebook posts and pictures and sms texts.

5. Find a humour buddy6. Focus humour on yourself7. Experiment with jokes

Different modes

1. One act play2. Mimicry3. Mono act4. Humourous poems5. Cartoon

Prohibition

Don’t be obscene or vulgar

To begin with, use jokes available on internet or in books/magazines. Practice the manner of correct speech, tone, pronounciation and right pause.

There should be no compulsion. Let only

those students join who are genuinely interested.

Mimicry to be practiced by mocking or impersonating

the faculty or senior students.

A prize would be awarded at

each session to the student

who best mimics the law school director.

SUMMARY

Being able to communicate clearly and effectively is a prime requisite for success in law profession.

Humour and wit makes effective communicator.

How to be Happy

decide every morning that you are in a good mood.