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One reason you should develop a wide vocabulary is so that you can adapt your vocabulary to your audience.

Persuasion experts suggest that to persuade an audience, you must know the audience’s personality and match your vocabulary to the right personality type (Simpson (2008)). As Harry Mills puts it, “‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ In other words, always speak the other person’s language” (Mills (1999)).

Litigation expert Hugh Selby gives some specific examples that clarify why, as a lawyer, you should develop a wide vocabulary:

“Membership of the same crowd, even if it’s temporary, induces a sense of belonging which brings trust and acceptance. Shared experiences and demonstrated understanding suggest a common cause. So too does the deliberate choice of language which meets the varying needs of the members of the audience. I ‘see’, ‘picture’, ‘describe’, ‘map out’ or ‘notice’, for those with a dominant visual sense. I ‘hear’, ‘listen’, ‘tap’ or ‘strike’, for those with a strong auditory sense. For others, I ‘feel’, ‘reflect’, ‘consider’, ‘touch’ or ‘empathise’. We are more trusting of those ‘we know’ than those who are outsiders.”

Educator and former journalist John V Davis gives another reason for developing a wide vocabulary: the different intellectual expectations of your audiences. For example, according to Davis, white-collar professionals have higher intellectual expectations than people from middle-class occupations. Members of the professional class expect knowledgeable lawyers to use an impressive vocabulary.

As Davis also points out, an “impressive vocabulary” does not mean that your vocabulary should be all legalese and jargon. But it does mean that you should apply a slightly more academic vocabulary when encountering an official audience than, say, speaking to your mates at the pub on Friday night.

Another reason you should develop a wide vocabulary is that a wide vocabulary helps give your writing power and precision. Neil James gives two useful tests when choosing your words: first, look for the word that conveys your meaning most exactly (this will narrow the field); second, pick the shortest of the alternatives. The word that passes both tests will give your writing power and precision. The wider your vocabulary, the larger the stock of words you have to choose from.

According to Davis, if you portray yourself as a literate, functional member of society, then it behoves you to develop a vocabulary wide enough for you to fit that description:

“Failure to adapt and evolve one’s working personal dictionary is a mark of a tired and declining individual; one who is unwilling or unable to meet the demands of a highly lucrative field. Stubbornness can be a desirable persistence, but not when it poses a hurdle to one’s own success.”

The wider your vocabulary, the more credible, convincing, and successful you can become.

References

John V Davis, "Vocabulary Improvement and Professional Success: What Can Lawyers Tell Us about the Relationship?" (2009)

Neil James, Writing at Work (2007)

Harry Mills, Artful Persuasion: How to Command Attention, Change Minds, and Influence People (1999)

Hugh Selby, 'Arguing for Other Persuasions' (3 August 2007) Lawyers' Weekly Online

Troy Simpson, Win More Cases: The Lawyer’s Toolkit (2008)