Southern District of Texas Junior Lawyer Participation Incentives

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The Court invites all counsel to request oral hearings on motions. The Court also encourages more experienced counsel and their clients to allow less experienced attorneys to have speaking roles in court, particularly if those attorneys drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response. When deciding whether to grant a request for an oral hearing on a motion that typically would be resolved on the briefs alone, the Court will take into consideration whether convening a hearing would provide an opportunity for a less experienced attorney to present argument.

Summary: The Court invites requests for oral hearings on motions and will consider whether a hearing would give a less experienced attorney an opportunity to argue, encouraging senior counsel to give junior attorneys speaking roles.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.

Civil cases

Young Lawyers. Today there are fewer opportunities for lawyers to speak in court. This is particularly true for lawyers with less than seven years of experience. The Court strongly encourages more experienced senior or supervisory lawyers and their clients to allow less experienced lawyers to have the primary or only speaking roles in pretrial or motion conferences, and in trials and other proceedings when evidence and arguments are presented. This opportunity is particularly important and appropriate when the less experienced lawyer has drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response or to the trial or hearing preparation. The Court understands that, in some circumstances, it may not be appropriate to allow a less experienced lawyer such a prominent role. If the only lawyer who drafted or substantially prepared the motion, brief, or evidentiary presentation is the senior lawyer, or if the motion is dispositive in a "bet-the-company" case, litigants may justifiably want the senior lawyer to do all or most of the in-court presentation. Excluding these rare cases, it is crucial to provide substantive speaking opportunities to less experienced lawyers. The Court strongly encourages all lawyers and their clients to do so. The Court will take this into consideration in deciding whether to grant requests for oral argument on motions or issues that the Court would usually or otherwise decide on the papers.

Summary: The Court strongly encourages giving lawyers with less than seven years' experience primary speaking roles in conferences, trials, and evidentiary presentations, and will consider such participation in deciding whether to grant oral argument on motions it would otherwise decide on the papers.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.

Civil cases

While requests for hearings are not needed, counsel may indicate if the movant's lawyer is the one who actually researched and drafted the motion and if that lawyer is qualified as a young lawyer as defined in Paragraph K.

Summary: Counsel may indicate in motion papers whether the movant's lawyer who actually researched and drafted the motion qualifies as a young lawyer under Paragraph K.

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Civil cases

The Court strongly encourages litigants to be mindful of opportunities for young lawyers (i.e., lawyers practicing for fewer than seven (7) years) to conduct hearings before the Court, particularly when the young lawyer drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response. The Court believes that it is crucial to provide substantive speaking opportunities to young lawyers and that the benefits of doing so will accrue to young lawyers, to clients, and to the profession generally. Thus, the Court encourages all lawyers practicing before it to keep this goal in mind.

Summary: Court encourages opportunities for lawyers with fewer than 7 years of experience to conduct hearings, especially those who contributed to the underlying motion or response.

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Civil cases

The Court strongly encourages litigants to be mindful of opportunities for young lawyers (i.e., lawyers practicing for fewer than seven (7) years) to conduct hearings before the Court, particularly when the young lawyer drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response. The Court believes that it is crucial to provide substantive speaking opportunities to young lawyers and that the benefits of doing so will accrue to young lawyers, to clients, and to the profession generally. Thus, the Court encourages all lawyers practicing before it to keep this goal in mind.

Summary: Young lawyers (fewer than 7 years experience) are encouraged to conduct hearings, with priority for those who drafted or contributed to the underlying motion/response.

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for young lawyers (i.e., lawyers practicing for less than seven years) to conduct hearings before the Court, particularly for motions where the young lawyer drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response. The Court believes it is crucial to provide substantive speaking opportunities to young lawyers, and that the benefits of doing so will accrue to young lawyers, to clients, and to the profession generally. Thus, the Court encourages all lawyers practicing before it to keep this goal in mind.

Summary: Court encourages lawyers with less than seven years of experience to conduct hearings, especially for motions they drafted or contributed to, to provide substantive speaking opportunities.

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Civil cases

The Court strongly encourages litigants to be mindful of opportunities for young lawyers (i.e., lawyers practicing for less than seven years) to conduct hearings before the Court, particularly for motions where the young lawyer drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response.

Summary: Young lawyers (practicing less than 7 years) are encouraged to conduct hearings, especially for motions they drafted or contributed to.

Machine summary. Not checked yet.

Civil cases

Young Lawyers. The Court strongly encourages litigants to be mindful of opportunities for young lawyers (i.e., lawyers practicing for less than seven years) to conduct hearings before the Court, particularly for motions where the young lawyer drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response. The Court believes it is crucial to provide substantive speaking opportunities to young lawyers, and that the benefits of doing so will accrue to young lawyers, to clients, and to the profession generally. Thus, the Court encourages all lawyers practicing before it to keep this goal in mind.

Summary: Young lawyers (practicing less than 7 years) are encouraged to conduct hearings, especially for motions they drafted or contributed to.

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The court encourages experienced lawyers and their clients to provide speaking roles for lawyers licensed fewer than 7 years, particularly when those lawyers have, to a substantial degree, drafted the motion or response being argued, or prepared the witness being presented.

Summary: Junior lawyers (licensed fewer than 7 years) are encouraged to receive speaking roles, especially if they drafted the motion/response or prepared the witness.

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The court encourages experienced lawyers and their clients to provide speaking roles for lawyers licensed fewer than 7 years, particularly when those lawyers have, to a substantial degree, drafted the motion or response being argued, or prepared the witness being presented.

Summary: Junior lawyers (licensed fewer than 7 years) should be given speaking roles for motions/responses they drafted or witnesses they prepared.

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Civil cases

2) While requests for hearings are not needed, counsel may indicate if the movant’s lawyer is the one who actually researched and drafted the motion and if that lawyer is qualified as a young lawyer as defined in Paragraph K. K. Young Lawyers. Today there are fewer opportunities for lawyers to speak in court. This is particularly true for lawyers with less than seven years of experience. The Court strongly encourages more experienced senior or supervisory lawyers and their clients to allow less experienced lawyers to have the primary or only speaking roles in pretrial or motion conferences, and in trials and other proceedings when evidence and arguments are presented. This opportunity is particularly important and appropriate when the less experienced lawyer has drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response or to the trial or hearing preparation. The Court understands that, in some circumstances, it may not be appropriate to allow a less experienced lawyer such a prominent role. If the only lawyer who drafted or substantially prepared the motion, brief, or evidentiary presentation is the senior lawyer, or if the motion is dispositive in a “bet-the-company” case, litigants may justifiably want the senior lawyer to do all or most of the in-court presentation. Excluding these rare cases, it is crucial to provide substantive speaking opportunities to less experienced lawyers. The Court strongly encourages all lawyers and their clients to do so. The Court will take this into consideration in deciding whether to grant requests for oral argument on motions or issues that the Court would usually or otherwise decide on the papers.

Summary: Lawyers with less than 7 years of experience are young lawyers; court encourages them to have primary speaking roles and considers this when granting oral argument requests.

Machine summary. Not checked yet.

Today there are fewer opportunities for lawyers to speak in court. This is particularly true for lawyers with less than five to seven years of experience. The court strongly encourages every more experienced senior or supervisory lawyer and their clients to allow less experienced lawyers to have the primary or only speaking roles in pretrial conferences, arguments on motions or in pre-motion conferences, and in trials and other proceedings when evidence and arguments are presented. This opportunity is particularly important and appropriate when the less experienced lawyer has drafted or contributed significantly to the underlying motion or response or to the trial or hearing preparation. The court understands that in some circumstances, it is not appropriate to allow a less experienced lawyer such a prominent role. If the only lawyer who drafted or substantially prepared the motion, brief, or evidentiary presentation is the senior lawyer, or if the motion is dispositive in a “bet-the-company” case, litigants may justifiably want the senior lawyer to do all or most of the in-court talking. But in all but these cases, it is crucial to provide substantive speaking opportunities to less experienced lawyers. The court strongly encourages all lawyers and their clients to do so. The court will take this into consideration in deciding whether to grant requests for oral argument on motions or issues that the court would usually or otherwise decide on the papers.

Summary: Junior lawyers (less than 5-7 years experience) are encouraged to have primary speaking roles, increasing likelihood of oral argument.