It can be difficult for associates to acquire practical litigation experience—taking and defending depositions, arguing motions and hearings, and examining witnesses at trial—especially for associates at midsize and large firms. Many of us have heard horror stories like the mid-level associate who has done nothing but document review or the senior associate who has never taken a deposition let alone examined a witness at trial.
There are various reasons for this general lack of experience, including client desires, firm culture or practice, and the dearth of cases that proceed to trial. Whatever the reason, this article presents some tips for associates to increase their odds of doing the type of litigation work they were hoping to do when they graduated law school.