Humanizing someone makes it harder for you to take action against them.

In a court room you don't want the jury looking at them like they are a monster. So you say their name. You make them seem relatable. If you are a female and are kidnapped, you talk to your capture, you tell them your name, you try to engage them so they see you as human not prey

It's a tactic. The lawyer was not being incompetent.