I am frequently in motion court in real life these days and see many associates and articling students from other firms appear in “real court” for the first time.
Most of those people have not been told what to do in “real court”. They don’t know basics, like where to stand, when to bow, how to fill out a counsel sheet and the list goes on.
If you’re a lawyer who went to real court before covid shut that down for most people, take a moment and walk your lawyers through the process. One is a better advocate for one’s client when they’re not stressed about “did I bow correctly” etc.
Another skill that appears to be lacking with recently called lawyers is how to properly wear their Robes. Here is a handy graphic that helps with almost everything: http://tinyurl.com/edhsf55j . The one thing it leaves out is the two long black pieces of fabric in the inside of your robes: tie those together behind your back and it stops your robes from sliding down.
If you’re new to being in real court and have questions, there is no doubt a more experienced lawyer around who would be happy to answer questions and tell you where the robing room is so you can ditch your coat and winter boots, so don’t be shy, ask for help!
Inga B. Andriessen, JD, Principal Lawyer