by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
One of the larger specialties represented in the Jacksonville Bar Association, the Commercial Litigation Section keeps a full schedule of services ongoing to its members. The group meets every two or three months to hear informal discussions on relevant topics by other members, judges or individuals outside the group.
“The section has been very active over the past few years,” said Michael Freed, section chair for the last two years. “This year we plan to have a luncheon with the local judges to give insights into effective jury selection.”
Commercial litigation is a broad area of the law, covering issues such as business or contractual disputes and tort claims arising out of business relations. Personal injury cases or individual suits do not fall in this category.
Other presentations this year, in addition to those at the meetings, include dialogue on forensics, appellate law and ethical issues facing commercial litigators.
“We will have someone come in from the appellate section to speak on the preservation of error,” said Freed. “Error will be something the trial judge did that was wrong. It is the trial lawyer’s responsibility to preserve issues for appeal. The trial court needs to be advised on those issues and will need to rule on it. Appellate lawyers can provide insight on how to preserve those issues.”
The big event for the section this year will be the Ray Ehrlich trial practice seminar they are co-sponsoring with the Appellate Section. Like last year, Freed anticipates another 100 attendees for the June function. The speaker for the seminar is undecided at the moment. Previous speakers have included Jim Seckinger from Notre Dame Law School and Henry Trawick, author and Florida practitioner.
“We’ve had a lot of positive responses,” he said. “You walk through every facet of litigation matters from filing complaints to discovery to the trial presentation. It’s a good opportunity for litigators to get together to exchange ideas on the practice. None of us have as much experience with the past generation of litigation so any experience colleagues have are beneficial for us to hear about. Cases have gotten to the point where they go to trial less often so as less cases are tried, many of us don’t have significant trial opportunities. As a result, it’s more important to learn about others’ experiences.”
In addition to sharing esoteric knowledge, the section functions to uphold the ethical standards of the practice through open communication.
“It enhances the collegiality of the legal community,” said Freed. “The section provides opportunities to swap ideas and get the judges’ perspectives on how to make the practice more effective. Plus, it’s a free lunch.”