Picture this: You are a young attorney who has only been practicing for a short time, and you are headed to the Duval County Courthouse for your first motion hearing. The partner who was supposed to accompany you had an emergency come up and told you that you would have to “go this one alone.” She tells you that you will be perfectly fine – nothing to be worried about. You calmly tell yourself that she is right, everything will be OK. You’ve researched, you’ve prepared and you’ve gone over and over your argument.
But as you leave your office and walk toward the courthouse, your palms start to sweat. Your mind races as you run through your speaking points in your mind. “Oh no,” you think, suddenly panicking, “what if the judge asks me questions I can’t answer? What if I do something in the courtroom that annoys the judge and takes away from my brilliant substantive legal arguments? Or worse, what if the Judge just doesn’t like me?!”
By the time you reach the courthouse doors, you are a mess – your once perfectly groomed hair is now matted to your sticky forehead, and the calm composure with which you left the office seems a distant memory.
Now ask yourself: How much less stressful would this situation be if, a few weeks prior, you met and engaged in small-talk with several of the local judges, including the judge handling your hearing? What if, in talking with those judges, you were able to ask them what some of their biggest pet peeves are of practitioners appearing before them? What if you were able to ask them what some of the best responses are that they have received from attorneys when the judges asked questions for which the attorneys did not have an answer?
Daniel Bean, executive partner of Holland & Knight’s Jacksonville office, says that “one of the most significant hurdles faced by young or inexperienced attorneys is unfamiliarity with the court and the judicial system in general, and one of the best ways to clear that hurdle is to become familiar with it.”
On Nov. 1, The Young Lawyers Section of The Jacksonville Bar Association is offering young attorneys a fantastic opportunity to fine-tune their familiarity with the Duval County judicial system and its judges at the YLS Judicial Breakfast.
A number of circuit judges will join Jacksonville’s young lawyers for a casual breakfast and conversation. Judge Virginia Norton, who has attended many of the breakfasts, both as a young attorney and as a judge, says that the events provide “a nice, relaxed atmosphere that attorneys and judges do not normally get in court to interact on a personal level.” She says that she enjoys getting to know a little bit more about the attorneys who appear in front of her.
Judge Norton plans to attend the breakfast on Nov. 1.
President of the YLS Board of Governors, Michael Orr, encourages all to attend: “It goes without saying that young lawyers are not appearing before judges as regularly as senior lawyers. Senior lawyers are also more likely to have practiced with a judge prior to him or her serving on the bench. With that said, the YLS provides an invaluable service to its membership with these judicial breakfasts,“ said Orr.
“The breakfasts present an opportunity for young lawyers to gain face time with several local judges who have graciously participated over the past several years. Other than the breakfasts, there are very few opportunities where young lawyers are going to have one-on-one access to multiple members of the judiciary to discuss something other than a specific case the lawyer may be arguing. For those lawyers who do not plan to practice law in the courtroom, it is still an opportunity to meet those individuals who are developing and administering the laws in Duval County,” said Orr.
If you are interested in attending, breakfast “calendar call” is at 8:30 a.m. (for about an hour) Nov. 1 in the sixth floor conference room of the Duval County Courthouse, 501 W. Adams St. A light breakfast spread, juice and coffee will be provided free of charge. If you plan to attend, an RSVP to Jennifer Kifer at [email protected] would be appreciated so that no one is left muffinless. Any questions about the event can be directed to Jennifer or to Sarah Anderson at [email protected]. If you cannot attend on Nov. 1, do not despair – The YLS will hold another breakfast (or lunch) in early 2013.
Also, don’t forget to mark your calendars for another great YLS event, “Afternoon at the Courthouse,” from 1-5 p.m. Nov. 20 at the courthouse. This free seminar will help you become acquainted with the new courthouse and obtain valuable guidance from local judges and practitioners. A happy hour at Zodiac Grill from 5-7 p.m. will follow. If you are interested in attending, or for more information, please contact Eric Roberson at 858-3211 or [email protected].
We hope to see you there.