Reflection -- 1
Four Things I have Learned From My Recent Observations 1) Procedure often decides the outcome I have seen that around half of what happens is timing and understanding of the situation. These are like very stacked 9:00 schedules, continuance requests, and dismissals. The judges I have watched tend to reset a process when one of the parties misunderstood something. We saw this when a judged reset after a defendant appeared on a day where the plaintiff expected a default. A lot of the drama we expect to happen is usually on the back burner. 2) Words matter. A lot Especially when watching defendants explain their story, there are a lot of one liners that actually have a lot of impact. "I did send those emails" or "No, I haven't finished my service yet" are very persuasive in relation to what the judge does, and they are often more impactful than full speeches. Even the small things can carry a massive weight in the co...