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The Art of Trial
Almost 70 years ago, the great trial attorney Louis Nizer, who during his life the Guinness Book of World Records listed as the highest paid attorney in the world, wrote, “The most important qualification for an able trial lawyer is thorough preparation, hard work, and indus- try.” I believe that Mr. Nizer’s wise statement is just as cogent today. Moreover, thorough preparation must include the steady accumulation of courtroom experience: a boxer can hit a punching bag for hours on end, but only by sparring with another fighter in the ring does he really develop and improve his skills. What Mr. Nizer refers to as “industry” I would characterize, then, as a readiness to go to trial – to get in the ring, mix it up, and do the work that my client is paying me for.