6 Tips To Help You Nail Your First Trial
So, you have graduated Law School, you have got a job with a law firm, and now it is time to head to trial for the first time.
You are probably feeling nervous. Don’t worry, that’s a good thing. Your nervousness shows that you have a drive to do a good job and that you want to win. Both are good characteristics in a lawyer.
No matter how long you spend training and how many mock courtroom days you have done – nothing can prepare you for the pressure of taking your first case to court.
Today, we want to share some advice with you that will help you to thrive once you enter the courtroom.
1 . Find A Mentor
One of the common traits in successful people is that they never stop learning, improving, anf honing their skills.
You may have a license to practice law, but you still have more to learn. So, instead of finding things out the hard way, find yourself a mentor.
You want to find a well established and experienced lawyer, like trial attorney Kelly C Walker, who can offer you advice, share their hard earned knowledge with you, and can remind you of why you have chosen this job on the really hard days.
2 . Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
When you are a new and young lawyer, you can never go into a trial too prepared.
Honestly, no matter your age or experience level, you can never go into a trial too prepared.
We recommend that as well as learning everything you need for the trial, you create a set of notes that contains all of this information as well. Make it well organized and easy to find what you are looking for.
That way, if you get nervous and your mind goes blank, you have everything you need to know at your fingertips.
3 . Be Aware Of Who You Are Going Up Against
Learn what you can about the lawyer you will be going up against in court.
As well as trying to win the case, you will also have to battle against the lawyer on the other side of the room.
You will know who this person is before you head into the courtroom, so use some of your preparation time to learn what you can about them.
If they can be harsh with their words then you may need to prepare your client, if they like to be the most prepared in the room then you need to beat them at that.
The more you know, the better you can prepare yourself. And you can never be too prepared.
4 . Communicate And Build Trust With Your Client
Lots of young lawyers spend too much time focusing on the case details, the opposition, and the prescients. You also need to remember that you have a client and without them you do not have a job.
You want to make sure that you are communicating as much as you can with your client. You want them to trust you and go into the courtroom feeling as calm as they can.
The more they trust you, the more they will share with you. One of these details might just win you the case.
5 . Don’t File Too Early
You must have a good relationship with your client, but you also need to remember that you are the one who has been training for years to be a lawyer.
If the client is in a rush to file a lawsuit and you do not think the case is strong enough yet or you haven’t been able to prepare as much as you would like to – you need to make this clear to the client.
You do not want to file too early and end up losing the case because you rushed everything and your opponent didn’t.
6 . Remember, Done Is Better Than Perfect
We understand the kind of pressure that new lawyers are under. A lot is expected of them and they expect a lot from themselves.
You may want your first case to go perfectly – there is nothing wrong with that.
But, you should also remember that your first case will not be an indication of how the rest of your career will go.
It is better to get through the first trial and do everything correctly than it is to do it with style and flair but sacrifice preparation.
You don’t have to be perfect in your first case. No lawyer ever is. Just ask everyone else at your firm. Even the partners will have had a clunky first trial.
