Experience for Less-Experienced Lawyers
As
do many judges in the Northern District of Illinois, Judge Kness encourages
attorneys and their clients to provide substantive speaking opportunities to
less-experienced lawyers during any of the Court’s proceedings, including
motion and status hearings, settlement conferences, claim-construction
hearings, pretrial conferences, evidentiary hearings, sentencings, and trials. Although oral argument
is not necessary for the Court to rule on most motions filed before it, the
Court will consider scheduling oral argument if a party requests it and commits
to entrusting the argument to a less-experienced lawyer. No party will be
disadvantaged in any respect by a less-experienced lawyer making an argument. To that end, Judge Kness allows more than
one attorney per side to speak during any proceeding. Lead attorneys may confer
with the less-experienced
lawyer to suggest
additional argument or examination questions and may also, upon request for
leave, interject as reasonably necessary to deliver additional argument or to
conduct additional witness examination.
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