Practice Areas
Trial SkillsSpecialty Credit
Every trial lawyer has experienced it: the inner critic before opening statements, the surge of anger during a hostile cross-examination, the fear after a difficult ruling, or the exhaustion that follows months of high-stakes litigation. These internal reactions often shape courtroom performance as much as legal knowledge or advocacy skills.
This innovative 90-minute CLE program introduces attorneys to the groundbreaking Internal Family Systems (IFS) model developed by Richard Schwartz and demonstrates how its principles can be applied ethically and practically to the daily practice of law. Rather than treating emotional reactions as weaknesses to suppress, participants will learn how to recognize the different “parts” of their internal experience, regain composure under pressure, and respond from a place of calm, confident leadership.
Through engaging courtroom examples involving cross-examination, client counseling, negotiation, and judicial interactions, attendees will discover practical techniques—including the Internal Check-In, the 6 F’s process, and real-time “unblending”—that can be implemented immediately before hearings, depositions, mediations, and trials. **The program also addresses one of the profession’s most pressing challenges: attorney stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma. Participants will learn how greater self-awareness can improve decision-making, enhance professional resilience, strengthen client relationships, and promote more effective advocacy while remaining within appropriate ethical boundaries.
Whether you are an experienced litigator or a newer attorney seeking greater courtroom confidence, Mastering the Inner Dialogue offers a fresh, evidence-informed framework for developing emotional intelligence as a powerful advocacy skill. Participants will leave with practical tools they can begin using immediately to become more composed, persuasive, and effective advocates for their clients.
Presenter Bio
Michael DeBlis is a trial lawyer. He graduated Cum Laude from The Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Summa Cum Laude from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law with his Masters of Law in Taxation. Michael is known for his charismatic personality and his unyielding dedication to his clients.
Michael spent the first six years of his legal career as a public defender in the NJ Office of the Public Defender cutting his teeth on some of the most serious felony cases to pass through the state courts of New Jersey. He then joined his father’s law practice, DeBlis Law, expanding the practice into civil tax controversies and international tax compliance.
As a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College, Michael has trained under some of the best-known criminal defense attorneys in the country. When he’s not in the courtroom, you can find Michael on stage. He is a professionally-trained actor who has performed in off-Broadway productions and on-stage at Shakespeare in the Park. Michael’s passionate about helping trial lawyers harness the power of persuasion and positive communication in the courtroom in order to connect to the jury on a human level.
Michael’s training as an actor allows him to combine a unique blend of left-brain thinking with right brain artistry to make even the most dull and abstract areas of the law come to life. Michael is a prolific writer and a frequent lecturer at CLE and CPE programs throughout the country. He has written articles that have been featured in leading tax journals and “Law 360.”
Michael is a living example of the tremendous power that comes from combining passion, preparation, persuasion, and positive communication in the courtroom. His courage and relentless work ethic have earned him a reputation as a zealous advocate and one of New Jersey’s rising stars of the legal profession.
This innovative 90-minute CLE program introduces attorneys to the groundbreaking Internal Family Systems (IFS) model developed by Richard Schwartz and demonstrates how its principles can be applied ethically and practically to the daily practice of law. Rather than treating emotional reactions as weaknesses to suppress, participants will learn how to recognize the different “parts” of their internal experience, regain composure under pressure, and respond from a place of calm, confident leadership.
Through engaging courtroom examples involving cross-examination, client counseling, negotiation, and judicial interactions, attendees will discover practical techniques—including the Internal Check-In, the 6 F’s process, and real-time “unblending”—that can be implemented immediately before hearings, depositions, mediations, and trials. **The program also addresses one of the profession’s most pressing challenges: attorney stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma. Participants will learn how greater self-awareness can improve decision-making, enhance professional resilience, strengthen client relationships, and promote more effective advocacy while remaining within appropriate ethical boundaries.
Whether you are an experienced litigator or a newer attorney seeking greater courtroom confidence, Mastering the Inner Dialogue offers a fresh, evidence-informed framework for developing emotional intelligence as a powerful advocacy skill. Participants will leave with practical tools they can begin using immediately to become more composed, persuasive, and effective advocates for their clients.
Presenter Bio
Michael DeBlis is a trial lawyer. He graduated Cum Laude from The Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Summa Cum Laude from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law with his Masters of Law in Taxation. Michael is known for his charismatic personality and his unyielding dedication to his clients.
Michael spent the first six years of his legal career as a public defender in the NJ Office of the Public Defender cutting his teeth on some of the most serious felony cases to pass through the state courts of New Jersey. He then joined his father’s law practice, DeBlis Law, expanding the practice into civil tax controversies and international tax compliance.
As a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College, Michael has trained under some of the best-known criminal defense attorneys in the country. When he’s not in the courtroom, you can find Michael on stage. He is a professionally-trained actor who has performed in off-Broadway productions and on-stage at Shakespeare in the Park. Michael’s passionate about helping trial lawyers harness the power of persuasion and positive communication in the courtroom in order to connect to the jury on a human level.
Michael’s training as an actor allows him to combine a unique blend of left-brain thinking with right brain artistry to make even the most dull and abstract areas of the law come to life. Michael is a prolific writer and a frequent lecturer at CLE and CPE programs throughout the country. He has written articles that have been featured in leading tax journals and “Law 360.”
Michael is a living example of the tremendous power that comes from combining passion, preparation, persuasion, and positive communication in the courtroom. His courage and relentless work ethic have earned him a reputation as a zealous advocate and one of New Jersey’s rising stars of the legal profession.
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