What If I’ve Connected with the Judge on LinkedIn?

After a local bar event one night, Sarah, a first-year litigation associate, was seated at a table with a local judge. Over dinner, Sarah enjoyed talking with the judge and asking her questions about local practice and courtroom decorum. The judge happily answered Sarah’s questions and shared her own war stories from her days in private practice. Sarah was eager to get as much insight into the local customs as possible because earlier that day, one of Sarah’s partners told Sarah that she would be covering an upcoming hearing in one of the cases that her firm was handling. Sarah had not been working on this particular case, but the partner assured her that the case was small, and she would be able to get up to speed in time. Sarah asked the judge about her preferences on opening statements and proffering evidence, as well as how she preferred lawyers appearing before her to conduct themselves in the courtroom.