My family has a strong presence in the law: my dad is a New York State Supreme Court Justice sitting in White Plains, New York, and my aunt is a solo real-estate practitioner based out of Armonk, New York. The question when I was growing up was always whether I would...

The use of expert witnesses in litigation has become so prevalent it is now routine. Often cases require the use of an expert to prove a prima facie case. For instance, without the use of a medical expert in a civil personal injury action, a plaintiff cannot prove...

If you were to ask someone what things are certain in life, you would probably get the classic answer: “death and taxes.” For those in the legal field, there is one more certainty to add to that list: legal research. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in this...

“OBJECTION” is a phrase so synonymous with lawyers that, should you mention to anyone that you are either in law school or a practicing litigator, they will at some point during an initial conversation utter “I object” to you. Although I am more than sure we have all...

New York Labor Law (hereinafter “Labor Law”) routinely provides Plaintiffs with access to an unjustified advantage when litigating a construction accident case.[1] To date, New York remains the only state in the country “which imposes strict liability [on general...

We’ve all heard the stories - the time the water bottle spilled all over the competitor’s notes; the fire alarm that decided to go off mid-argument. The time the internet blinked and kicked everyone out of the Zoom room; the question the judge asked about a case the...

Introduction I joined the advocacy program because I missed the thrill of competition days. After playing multiple sports from before I could barely walk through a Division I college career, the unpredictability of competition became an anchor of stability in my...

Introduction During the Fall 2022 semester, I had the opportunity to prepare with my team and observe my first law school Mock Trial competition, the Hofstra Legal-Medical Mock Trial Competition. The competition was held at the Nassau County Courthouse in Long Island...

Ethical lawyers understand that their primary obligation to their clients is to represent them “zealously,” to help them achieve their goals and advocate on their behalf to the best of their ability. But the so-called duty of zealous advocacy—embodied in Rule 1.3 of...

The Different Types of Witnesses In litigation, lawyers rely on the testimony of witnesses in order to present their case. Lay witnesses, which are the most common kind of witnesses, are individuals who have knowledge about certain events and will describe what they...