The litigation landscape has certainly changed from what it was a year ago. Since March, 2020, judges, court personal, attorneys and clients have had to adjust to a virtual world that has been both changing everyday and moving very slowly.
As Judge DiFiore said in her May 18, 2020 announcement regarding the current status of the courts, today is a milestone day for the NYS Court System. Read the full announcement here.
"Today marks a historic step forward in addressing the ongoing mental health crisis in the legal profession," said NYSBA President Hank Greenberg. "Future generations of New York lawyers no longer need to live in fear that bravely and smartly seeking treatment for mental health issues could one day derail their careers."
If you’ve been practicing law for a while you know how much time you spend at court appearances and depositions and how much of that time can feel wasted, especially when there is so much work that needs to get done back at the office. When I was practicing, I felt pulled in every direction by client calls, motions that needed drafting, opposition papers that were due, the list of things to do was endless.
There are many different ways that a witness can be required to give testimony in relation to a claim or lawsuit. This blog post will briefly discuss several common and frequently used methods for taking oral testimony from a party or witness to a claim or action and some best practices for conducting and defending a witness giving testimony. Examples include:
If you’ve ever known a lawyer who struggled with addiction or mental health problems, chances are they were quite reluctant to admit anything was wrong. Even in the face of compelling evidence to the contrary, like missed deadlines, sleeping in the office, excessive sick days or difficulty with tasks, they likely denied the existence of any struggle. Maybe the evidence is harder to ignore. Arrests, hospitalizations, unexplained illnesses, missing money. The list goes on and on. Yet, those who struggle with addiction or mental health issues are often unaware of the impact of their illness, in denial about the seriousness of their condition, or are petrified of being “found out.” And few people have the ability to convince others of something more forcefully and convincingly than a well-trained lawyer!