In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: You must learn all of the legal names of the participants in a trial. The judge or opposing attorney will refer to people by these names. The participants include the following:  Pro Se litigants are individuals who are a named party in the civil lawsuit or criminal case but are not represented by an attorney. If you are preparing your own defense in a case, you will be known as the pro se defendant.  The plaintiff is a person who files a civil lawsuit (a case for money damages) against another person or business. If you are involved in a civil as opposed to a criminal case (discussed below) the plaintiff is the person(s) suing you. The plaintiff may or may not be represented by an attorney.  The prosecutor is the attorney that represents the state in a criminal case.  In a civil lawsuit, a plaintiff sues a person that they believe has harmed them in some way and that harm has caused damages. There are a variety of civil lawsuits that could be brought such as a personal injury lawsuit, a divorce proceeding, a discrimination case, or a breach of contract case. In a criminal case, a prosecutor presents evidence to the jury to try and prove that a person accused of committing a crime actually did commit the crime. A jury or judge hears all of the evidence and the defense and decides whether the prosecutor presented enough evidence to demonstrate that the accused committed a crime. Each state court and federal courts have procedural rules that all parties must follow when bringing a case to court. Below is a list of potentially relevant procedural rules and where to locate them.  If your case is in federal court you will need either the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence. You can find these rules at http://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure. Federal courts also require that you review and follow and rules of procedure for the specific federal district court where your case is being heard. These rules are located on district court websites. You can locate the relevant district court website here: http://www.uscourts.gov/court-locator. Once on the relevant website search for “rules of practice” or “civil procedure rules” and you should be able to locate the rules. If your case is in state court, you can locate the relevant rules by conducting an internet search with your state name and “rules of civil procedure” or “rules of criminal procedure,” and “rules of evidence.” You can locate local court rules by calling the court clerk where your case is being heard. In a civil case, you can find the name of the court on the first page of the Complaint that you received from the plaintiff. Also, you can conduct an internet search for the court’s name and “rules of civil procedure” or “rules of criminal procedure,” and “rules of evidence.” Most courts provide this information on their website. The Sixth Amendment entitles criminal defendants to have an attorney assigned to them if they cannot afford an attorney on their own. If your criminal case carries a potential prison sentence of six or more months, you are entitled to have an attorney appointed to you. If you have the option to have an attorney appointed to you, rather than you defend yourself, you should request an attorney. One of the reasons people choose to defend themselves in court is because they cannot afford to hire an attorney. If this is why you are planning to defend yourself, you should determine whether there any ways to retain a low-cost or free attorney to assist you in preparing your defense or handle the entire case themselves. Below are some ways to locate potential attorneys:  Contact your state bar association and ask about how to locate and pay for an attorney when you cannot afford an attorney. The American Bar Association has compiled a list of state-by-state resources that can direct you to attorney referral sites, such as contact information for state bar associations. The ABA provides this information at http://apps.americanbar.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/home.cfm  Contact legal aid in the area where your case was filed. Legal Aid societies often provide low or no-cost representation for individuals who cannot afford to retain an attorney on their own. You can locate Legal Aid societies by conducting an internet search for the name of the state where the case is pending and the words “Legal Aid.” You can also contact local law schools and see whether they have a law clinic that would represent you for free.
Summary: Understand the legal names for parties involved in a case. Familiarize yourself with court rules. Request an attorney if you are in criminal court. Determine whether you can afford to retain an attorney in civil case.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Close your eyes to focus on the reporter's voice and inflection. Using their tone, the reporter tells you what is important, what is sad, what is exciting, and what you don't want to miss. It's not so much what they're saying, but how they are saying it.  You might notice that the reporter sounds excited, energized, friendly, or confident. Try writing down some words you would use to describe the reporter's voice. You can use these words for reference when you're practicing. Look at the reporter's body language. Watch how the reporter's face reflects the tone of the story. Look at where the reporter places their hands. Break out the video camera or smart phone and either record video or audio of yourself. Play it back and listen closely. Watch the news and compare your voice to the reporter's. Try not to criticize yourself too harshly. You are comparing yourself to professional newscasters while you are just getting started. Simply compare to see how you can improve. Type up and print a news story that you want to practice reading. Use a font that is 1.5" to 2" tall and in a sans-serif style, such as Arial or Helvetica. This will most accurately reflect the teleprompter type-style. Place the papers on a table across from you and try to read them while moving your eyes as little as possible. You'll often see a reporter with papers in their hand. You practice this way, too. Practice glancing down at your notes and then conveying the story, rather than reading directly from your notes. This is called ad-libbing, and you might see examples of it between two stories or at the end of a story on the news. A reporter might give a brief opinion or make a comment about the story. Come up with a few phrases you can use for a variety of situations so that they sound natural.  For a serious story, you can say something along the lines of, "What a tragic event for the neighborhood," or "Let's hope everyone makes a full recovery." Make it clear that you care about the situation. For a feel good story, you can keep it simple by saying something like, "How fun!" or "That really warms the heart." It's important to stay neutral for political stories. Good examples of comments could include, "This race is really heating up," or "This has been a really exciting story to follow." These comments still give an opinion while remaining neutral.
Summary:
Watch the news to listen to how reporters sound. Record yourself reading a report to spot your weaknesses. Practice keeping your eyes still while reading from a distance. Be prepared to go off-script from time to time.