In a Law.com article by Lisa Willis, “Young Attorneys Test Courtroom Civility,” several senior attorneys discuss the lack of trial skills, etiquette, and decorum they are witnessing from younger attorneys in a courtroom setting.

While several explanations are provided regarding the perceived drop in trial skills, Goldberg Segalla partner and renowned mentor Frank Ramos is asked if “good trial lawyers are an endangered species?”

“Sort of,” Frank says, attributing the cause to fewer trials and acknowledging that it can be difficult for younger attorneys to get trial experience. “Now you’re starting to see a bit of an uptick, because what you’re finding especially, in the personal injury space, the demands are getting higher. A lot of firms on the plaintiff’s side are willing to take the risk and ask for more than they traditionally ask for, and if they don’t get it, they’re willing to go through the trial.”

Frank offers advice to fresh law graduates keen on sharpening their courtroom skills early in their careers.

“I’ve always told young lawyers that if they can afford it when they get out of law school and are not completely buried in loan expenses, strongly consider joining the state attorney’s or public defender’s office,” he says. “Do your three-year commitment there, or longer, if you like, and you’re going to get a bunch of trials, and granted, they’re criminal, but just talking in front of a jury, picking a jury, introducing evidence, directing, cross-examining witnesses, that’s invaluable.”

He also believes “return to office” policies may be a possible remedy.

“A lot of the associates today are always looking for the flexibility,” he goes on to say. “They like working from home, or at least many of them do, and my advice to them is try to find a firm that at least is a hybrid model where people come in some of the time of the week. It really makes those relationships because it’s hard to be mentored or learn to practice or understand what you’re doing through Teams calls or Zoom calls or on the phone or through text or emails. It’s incomplete.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)

MORE ABOUT GOLDBERG SEGALLA’S FRANK RAMOS:

Frank has dedicated his life to advocating for others. A nationally recognized legal advisor and litigator, Frank has been defending clients in civil litigation for more than 26 years, focusing his practice on retail, product liability, premises liability, trucking, insurance, and commercial disputes. A seasoned litigator, he has taken numerous trials and arbitrations to verdict or award.

Frank uses his extensive litigation experience to provide counsel, defense, and strategic guidance to retailers, developers, restaurants, fitness chains, hotels, resorts and other hospitality businesses. His representation has included negligent security, slip/trip and falls, catastrophic personal injury, trucking and motor vehicle accidents, employment and construction claims, as well as a variety of commercial disputes ranging from intellectual property and breach of contract to bad faith, franchise agreements, and landlord-tenant issues.