Start:
Tue., May. 20, 2025 at 9:00 am ET
End:
Tue., May. 20, 2025 at 10:00 am ET
Difficulty:
Basic
Practice Areas:
Tort
This program is eligible for 1 hour of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 1.2 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Overview
Clients are more risk- and cost-adverse to trials and fewer cases are going to trial.
A decline in cases going to trial means new attorneys have less opportunity to gain practical courtroom experience in presenting cases to a jury, potentially impacting their development as litigators. Further, with dispositive motion arguments being the heart of many cases and clients wanting their top attorney to argue the substantive motion, even fewer opportunities are made available to less experienced attorneys.
State and federal courts in Pennsylvania have noticed this lack of opportunity for newer lawyers to gain ‘on your feet’ trial experience.
As a result, programs and opportunities have been developed to allow these attorneys to participate in trials, deliver meaningful arguments to trial judges, and gain relevant and invaluable trial experience. Since 2023, one such initiative, Project LITIGATE (Lawyers Initiative To Improve next Gen Attorneys’ Trial Experience) emphasizes the need for firms to provide new associates with early exposure to common litigation tasks. Project LITIGATE is supported by Pennsylvania law firms and judges who promote career training of young lawyers who aspire to become courtroom attorneys.
This program explores a new approach to fostering the rising generation of trial lawyers.
Join us as the Honorable Christine Donohue, Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Honorable Mia Perez, Judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, John P. Gismondi, Esq., and Lydia H. Caparosa, Esq., participate in a panel discussion moderated by Wesley R. Payne, Esq. Their discussion will focus on these issues:
Trial opportunities offered by the state and federal courts for less experienced attorneys
Qualifications required of the younger attorneys to participate
The experience that the younger attorney will receive
The safeguards the programs offer to ensure quality representation for all parties
A win-win experience for the newer attorney, firm, and present and future clients.
The panel’s frank discussion will not only focus on the substantive experiences available for the younger attorneys, but also the benefits to firms by allowing their younger attorneys to participate and gain the necessary experience in real life court experiences.
Co-sponsored with the PBA Large Law Firm Committee and YLD.
Original source can be found here.