Southern District of Texas Junior Lawyer Participation Incentives

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.

Source text: 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.

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.

Source text: 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.

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

Source text: 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.

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.

Source text: 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.

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

Source text: 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.

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

Source text: 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.

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

Source text: 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.