Your communication is already shaping your reputation. Make sure it’s doing so by design.
Helping lawyers make their value visible by developing the communication and professional judgment that earn trust, influence, and opportunity.
Meet Cara
I help lawyers translate the sophisticated judgment behind their work into communication others can recognize, trust, and reward.
Start with a consultation to explore what this could look like for you.
Initial consultation is complimentary.
I’m Cara Graham.
Founder of Above the Bar Advocacy and a former trial attorney.
I help lawyers make their value visible by developing the communication and professional judgment that earn trust, influence, and opportunity.
Before founding Above the Bar Advocacy, I spent more than a decade as a trial attorney in the Portland metro area, handling over 50 trials and working on cases involving domestic violence, juvenile law, and complex family dynamics. That work required professional judgment, steady presence, and the ability to communicate with credibility when the stakes were real.
But my foundation in communication began before law. I started my career as an award-winning public speaking and communication teacher, and I have always approached communication as both a skill and a form of professional self-presentation.
Today, I help lawyers make the value they already bring more visible—not by becoming someone else, but by developing the communication and professional judgment that allow others to recognize it.
Outside of work, I’m a wife, mom, devoted dog person, and die-hard Aerosmith fan.
The strongest professional communication does not polish the person out of you. It helps others recognize the judgment you have already earned.
Your communication becomes your reputation.
How I Work With Clients
My work is practical, personalized, and focused on helping lawyers make their value visible in the real world—through stronger communication, professional judgment, and self-advocacy.
Performance and Presence
Courtroom confidence and high-stakes performance
Presence and delivery
Managing nerves in high-pressure situations
Communication and Influence
Communicating in a way that builds trust with clients, colleagues and decision-makers
Speaking with clarity and authority to develop influence
Thinking on your feet
Strategy and Development
Strategic communication for career advancement
Presentation preparation (including last minute or high-pressure situations)
Non-verbal communication- because how you show up matters just as much as what you say
Sessions are tailored to your goals and the specific situations you’re navigating.
In addition to individual coaching, I offer attorney CLEs and Bar Association presentations, law firm workshops, and podcast appearances.
Interested in bringing a presentation to your organization?
Why This Works
Not theory. Real-world experience.
My work is grounded in real experience as a trial attorney—not abstract speaking techniques or generic leadership theory.
I’ve stood in courtrooms, worked with clients in difficult situations, and made decisions when the stakes were high. I understand the pressure—and what it takes to think clearly, exercise sound judgment, and communicate effectively in those moments.
Many communication challenges begin with a false “or”: polished or authentic, strong or approachable, strategic or sincere.
But credibility often lives in the intersection.
This isn’t about becoming a different person.
It’s about integrating the strengths you already have—and learning to think, decide, and communicate from that place with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
Communication Coaching for Lawyers
For lawyers who want to strengthen their communication and professional judgment—and build greater trust, influence, and confidence in court, client conversations, business development, and leadership.
Professional Self-Advocacy for Lawyers
For lawyers learning to make their value visible and communicate their needs, boundaries, contributions and goals with clarity and credibility.
Explore Resources for Lawyers
Explore the communication, professional judgment, and self-advocacy skills that help lawyers make their value visible.
What Others Are Saying
“Cara understands people, and knows how to build trust and work through difficult issues, balancing the need to be direct and the need for compassion. She also knows how to coach and mentor others as they build those skills in themselves. These skills are vital to being an effective and reliable lawyer. Cara’s multifaceted legal career and insightful approach to communication make her a dream coach for any lawyer looking to expand and improve how they can meet each client’s needs.”
-Paul Neese, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Child Advocacy and Protection Division, Oregon DOJ
“I worked on many cases (including major felonies) with Cara when we worked together in the Domestic Abuse Unit at the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office. She is incredibly organized and intelligent. Her courtroom presence was always impeccable, holding the perfect balance of clear communication, legal knowledge, and appropriate strategy. She was both diplomatic and determined. She is personable with a gift of teaching and mentoring.”
-Tina Kramer Retired Investigator, Clackamas County District Attorney's Office
Make your value visible.
Are you ready to communicate with greater clarity, judgment, and confidence?
Initial consultation is complimentary.