TED Talks Daily

How to participate in your own legal defense | Lam Ho

21 snips
Jan 30, 2023
In this enlightening discussion, Lam Ho, a TED Fellow and legal aid activist, reveals how empowering clients to share their stories can transform the courtroom experience. He emphasizes the need for reform, advocating for defendants to reclaim their voices in legal proceedings. Ho shares a poignant case of a Vietnamese immigrant woman and highlights how personal narratives, like Atticus's struggle for bond, can significantly influence legal outcomes. This powerful approach not only alters the dynamics of advocacy but also fosters a more inclusive justice system.
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ANECDOTE

Silenced Testimony

  • Lam Ho describes representing a Vietnamese immigrant woman in a divorce case.
  • The judge repeatedly silenced the woman while she testified about being raped by her husband.
ANECDOTE

Ho's Motivation

  • Ho's mother lost everything in her divorce because she lacked legal representation and feared deportation.
  • This personal experience motivated Ho to become a lawyer.
INSIGHT

Clients as Caricatures

  • Lawyers often rewrite clients as helpless victims when translating their lives into legal terms.
  • This courtroom dynamic strips clients of their agency and reduces them to caricatures.
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