The expanded jury box with socially distanced seating and individual screens for each juror are shown at a Manhattan federal courthouse on March 12, 2021. Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP
Some law firms and clients have experimented more with adding appellate lawyers to trials after COVID-19 forced a lull in litigation.
Royston Rayzor attorney Brian Miller, who chairs the American Bar Association’s Council of Appellate Lawyers, said while adding appellate attorneys to trial teams is not new, the pandemic may have accelerated the trend. With fewer trials and courts prioritizing criminal cases, Miller said, many turned to pretrial appellate remedies and dispositive motions to resolve civil cases.
