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08-21-2019, 11:05 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-21-2019, 11:06 AM by baubleusual.)
Know your case and be prepared. The settlement conference is the lowest pressure of anything, but you still want to make a good impression (even though the Deputy Judge isn't supposed to be the judge at trial, he may still hear motions on the matter down the road).
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What Douglas said. If you can run a trial, settlement conference is a joke. It’s just another form of a mediation but in front of a judge. He/She will give their opinion on both sides, there will probably be some egos being swung around and away you go. As long as you’re very familiar with the facts of your case and your client’s bottom line and BATNA you’ll be ok. Also be ready to throw in a Rule 49 at some point. Good luck!
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Needless to say, if you hear something really really juicy about a colleague - say something about addiction or infidelity or whatever - just shut up about it. I don't remember stories I hear about other people anywhere near as well as I remember who was indiscreet enough to repeat them.
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To you, the bar is this great big group of unknown, random people. Within about two years you're going to realize it's a giant web and most of the people in it are connected. Either they went to school together, or they were on a case together, or they work on the same committee, or they're related, or they have some other connection that has established a relationship. You are the newcomer. Eventually you will make space for yourself and you will belong. But while you are new, know your place - and keep your mouth shut.
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The flip side to the above is that articled students who are respectful and discreet really stand out. They're more interested in being professionals than anything else. Those people get noticed just because they give the impression that there's no risk that they wil embarrass an office or a colleague. They appear to be focused on the actual work without the distractions of ego or gossip. In short, they come across as adults.
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Having survived the Big Law experience, I would add that there's a fine line between always saying "Yes", and alternatively, if you're always swamped, simply keeping your head down and working on everything that you've already been assigned. As long as you're keeping busy and working hard on every assignment, you will learn a ton while preserving your sanity.