Juries resolve very few cases these days. Statistics confirm that fewer civil cases are tried to verdict every year, and that only a small fraction of civil cases ever reach a jury. With litigation costs rising every year, and corporate budgets remaining flat or declining, that downward trend is likely to continue.
This trend has huge implications for those of us that make our living as litigators. How do we develop and sharpen our skills? How do law firms develop the next generation of trial lawyers in an environment that is dominated by settlements and ADR? In years past, young lawyers learned by observing their partners in trial. War stories supplemented their education. However, the paucity of trials has limited these opportunities.
DRI’s Trial Tactics Committee is dedicated to helping trial lawyers maintain their edge. We do this by drawing on the experience and creativity of nationally recognized trial lawyers, consultants, experts, and in house counsel who share their knowledge and expertise at seminars, in webinars, and through publications. In 2014, Trial Tactics put on an interactive mock trial, complete with a judge and jury, which allowed attendees to observe and critique the tactics and techniques of dozens of experienced lawyers from around the country as they tried a case from voir dire to verdict. Attendees gave the program rave reviews. Many said it was the most informative CLE they had ever attended.
The 2015 Trial Tactics Seminar will continue DRI’s legacy of sponsoring outstanding, skills-based programming. This year, the Trial Tactics Seminar will include an interactive voir dire workshop, a mock Daubert hearing, as well as presentations on creative ways to present complex facts to jurors and to handle surprises at trial. The faculty will include a former US Attorney, a federal judge, in house counsel, and leading trial lawyers from across the country. In addition, this year’s program will include “Learning from Others” modules, which will be presentations by litigation sub-specialists who will teach tactics and techniques that are common in their practices, but which can also be helpful in a broader spectrum of cases.
The seminar will be held at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, March 18-20 – during March Madness. It promises to be a great program and a unique opportunity to learn, network with potential clients and referral sources, and reconnect with old friends. I hope to see you there.
