Once upon a time, in an age untouched by the shadow of COVID or the digital halls of Zoom court, I served as the jury foreperson on a week-and-a-half long trial in Broward County, Florida. As we are approaching the four-year mark since I completed my service, I’ve found myself reflecting on this opportunity and its profound impact on my legal career.

As I arrived that early morning in March 2020, I had no expectation that I would be selected as a juror. Surely no one would want an experienced personal injury trial attorney who had previously tried a dozen or so trials in that same courthouse on their jury—or so I thought. As my name was called as the third juror selected, a rush of emotions flooded over me. At first, I was ecstatic and thrilled I would be able to experience our justice system from the perspective of a juror. But then another, unexpected, emotion appeared—panic. I knew this trial would last possibly two weeks and my thoughts immediately went to my clients, and the hearings, depositions, and other deadlines I had pending. Suddenly I understood the emotions our jurors experience when they are selected for our panels. Why some people have that look of shock, fear, or even disappointment in their eyes. It is not necessarily because they don’t want to serve, it is because of that stress on their personal and professional lives and realization there is no turning back.