What is ethos in a courtroom?

Ethos is a mode of persuasion characterized by a display of professionalism, reliability and ethical conduct. It can also be defined as the outward projection of a character to be recognized by others. In a courtroom, ethos can manifest in a lawyer's calm and rational rejection of her opponent's case.

Ethos is one of three modes of persuasion introduced by Classical thinkers. Aristotle defined it alongside pathos and logos. Pathos is an appeal to emotions or to an audience's values. Cicero observed that most decisions are based on emotions, rather than reason, which is logos. Logos may involve inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning.