David Rudolf, defence lawyer made famous from the Netflix documentary The Staircase, is currently touring a ‘In Conversation With’-style conference. His Edinburgh date saw him team up with Scottish lawyer Donald Findlay QC, much to the delight of an audience that seemed largely made up of lawyers and law students. Their discussion focused on the more sensational aspects of the documentary series, such as the Germany and bisexuality scandals. To my surprise and excitement, the second half was largely based around the famous internet-spawned ‘Owl Theory’ which, in case it isn’t obvious, is the shocking but feasible possibility that Kathleen Peterson was attacked by an owl and died from subsequent blood loss, shock and disorientation. Making great use of every minute of allocated time, the two hour discussion was as informative as it was enjoyable.
Rudolf carried the conference like he carried the Netflix series; effortlessly charming, intelligent and witty, the audience was hooked to every word. A combination of behind-the-scenes explanations and discussions of theories spawned since the show’s fame, plus some audience questions, made for educational entertainment that is hard to pull off with such ease.
Appreciative of his growing audience, Rudolf spoke about his evolution from speaking to twelve jurors and a judge to thousands of people around the world, both through TV screens and conferences. Aware of the importance of his platform, he passionately expressed his desire to highlight police injustice and political ignorance. Wishing to expand his influence beyond the traditional capacity of a lawyer, he hopes that his voice can indirectly create change by inspiring his audiences. As Rudolf said, “when you throw a rock into a pond, you get ripples. I’m here to throw the rock into the pond, and you all here are my ripples”. A great lawyer, a powerful speaker and a natural entertainer, his conference is well worth attending.
David Rudolf has future dates around the UK, tickets available HERE
- White Riot (2020) - 30th June 2020
- Fred (2019) - 16th June 2020
- McMillions (TV Mini-Series 2020) - 12th June 2020