Vested Interest November December 2020

Fellow Trial Lawyers and Friends,
The year 2020 has been, and continues to be, one for the record books. The last nine months have proven incredibly challenging for our clients, our members, and our practices. Despite ITLA’s exploration of a “way out” and a return to jury trials, the deadly impact of the Coronavirus has thwarted our efforts at every turn. We are not alone in this regard. While there have been sporadic jury trials here and there across the country with masks, shields and various forms of PPE, no major metropolitan area like Cook County and similar counties in the state and country, has been able to resume its trial schedule to pre-pandemic levels. Like Cook, most have had no trials at all – criminal or civil. As impactful on our practices as this standstill has been, if we take a step back and put it into context, the inability to return to jury trials thus far, as hard as it is to say, is the right call. The nature of the Coronavirus and the impact of a premature and unprepared return to the courtroom literally can be a matter of life and death. Sadly, you cannot help but question how we got here and whether it was avoidable. Let’s reflect on this year and see. [read more]