Trial Lawyers Section

Trial Lawyers Section Update

REFLECTIONS

By Robert H. Nemeroff, Esq., Chair, Trial Lawyers Section

By the time you read this article, 2021 will have passed. It was a year of ongoing adaptation to a fickle pandemic which has yet to fully release us from its frustrating and, all too often, harmful grip. The year started with the promise of vaccinations as the most effective means to combat the scourge and permit a return to normalcy. The year ended with us having some increased semblance of control over our lives, but far from being carefree about a virus whose persistence and mutability has yet to be conquered.

COVID’s insidious presence posed ongoing challenges for the practice of law. The presence of plexiglass, the wearing of masks, jurors situated in gallery seating, all became – and continue to be – mainstays in the lives of litigators. Courtroom appearances and depositions via Zoom and other similar platforms have become the accepted and, in some cases, the preferred new norm for perpetuating dispute resolution, at the expense, unfortunately, of personal interaction.

As your outgoing Chair of the Trial Lawyers Section, my only regret has been the inability to interact with fellow members in-person at each of our monthly presentations. Our year-long program – “Tips & Techniques From Experienced Trial Lawyers: Cases Won and Lost/Lessons Learned” – was ideally suited for an interactive, in-person environment because, after all, who does not enjoy a good war story in-person? The unyielding pandemic, however, compelled us to bring the monthly presentations to you exclusively by electronic means from January through June. From September through November, our monthly program was presented both electronically and in-person, albeit in front of smaller live audiences.

Despite this limitation, I trust that our year-long program was well-received and informative. I extend my gratitude to all of the attorneys and judges who served as speakers; to those of you who attended our monthly presentations; to Megan Ware and the MBA staff for their invaluable assistance in administering the presentations; and, finally, to my fellow officers: Aimee Kumer, Mark Fischer, and Nathan Murawski, whose ideas and assistance were integral to the success of our program. The Trial Lawyers Section will be left in their capable hands for 2022 and beyond.

It has been my distinct honor and pleasure this past year to serve as the Chair of this esteemed and revered group of trial lawyers. I look forward to maintaining my membership and support for our Section prospectively. Happy New Year.