I am a young attorney and have filed a brief with Superior Court. I received a form back asking if I wanted to submit the brief without argument or if I wanted the standard expedited argument for five minutes or whether I wanted the 15-minute argument. What should I do?
Samuel C. Stretton.
Whether to argue before the Superior Court or not is a dilemma that many lawyers debate. On the civil side, it appears most of the time arguments are made. On the criminal side, many lawyers, particularly court-appointed lawyers, will often just submit the brief. Does oral argument make a difference? It’s the opinion of this writer that oral argument can make a difference. Further, it is an important aspect of being a lawyer to do these oral arguments. Every oral argument makes a lawyer a better appellate lawyer. It’s important for lawyers to appear before the appellate court if they have cases. It gives the lawyer an opportunity to get to know the appellate judges and also an opportunity to enhance his advocacy skills.
