One of the issues that many small firm lawyers face is they often need to appear at multiple court appearances at the same time. Although larger firms might have the resources to send multiple attorneys to court appearances so lawyers do not need to be in the same place at the same time, small firm lawyers may not have such resources. Indeed, I found myself needing to attend two court appearances at the same time earlier this year in two separate courthouses. However, by keeping a few strategies in mind, it can be easier to attend multiple court appearances at the same time.
Proximity
Perhaps the most important factor when handling multiple court appearances at once is the proximity of the court appearances. It is much easier to handle multiple court appearances at once if they are in the same courthouse, or at least in courthouses that are located next to each other. Whenever I have had to attend multiple court appearances at once, the appearances were either in the same courthouse or in courthouses located a short distance from each other.
If the court appearances are not in the same location, one option is to request that one of the appearances be held virtually. Lawyers can typically handle one virtual appearance while they wait for their case to be called on another appearance. Although I have never done this myself, I have been on virtual court appearances several times in which my adversaries were in court for other obligations, and court officers were flexible in accommodating those lawyers.
Communication
It is important to communicate with adversaries if you need to attend multiple court appearances at once. Sometimes it is beneficial to notify an adversary beforehand or at least write your phone number and an explanation of the situation next to the case listing outside the courtroom so that an adversary can contact you and is aware of the conflict.
Earlier this year, I had a conference that began at 10:30 a.m. sharp and another appearance that required my adversary and myself to complete a stipulation anytime starting at 9:30 a.m. I told my adversary about the time conflict, and I asked if my adversary could appear in the courthouse at 9:30 a.m. sharp so that we could complete the stipulation and I could hoof it to my other court appearance. Fortunately, my adversary appeared in court early, and I was able to complete the first court appearance with plenty of time to get to the second appearance. Not all adversaries are flexible, but some might help you make it to multiple court appearances.
Adjournments
There are certain times when a lawyer cannot realistically be in two places at once. This usually involves conferences or other appearances that are scheduled for a specific time and place with no flexibility about when lawyers need to appear. In such instances, lawyers can usually ask for an adjournment. Most of the time, courts are flexible when it comes to adjournments, and in some instances, court rules may require courts to adjourn appearances if a lawyer is engaged in another appearance. However, adjournments usually require the consent of an adversary. As a result, it usually pays to have a good relationship with adversaries so that it is easier to request adjournments or other courtesies.
All told, it can be difficult to handle multiple appearances at the same time as a small firm lawyer. By keeping a few strategies in mind, lawyers can more easier juggle multiple court appearances at once.
Jordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New York and New Jersey law firm. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at [email protected]