I have been back in private practice for eight weeks after six
years on the appellate bench in Texas. Now that I am back in
private practice and am arguing to courts orally and in writing
once again, remembering the perspective I had as a judge has
helped. Here are a few tips from my experience on the
bench.
- Simplicity is your friend
Variety may be the spice of life, but it can prove difficult for
a judge. The high variety of subject matters encountered by a
court of general jurisdiction took me by surprise when I became a
judge. My court handled approximately 70% civil cases
(including most administrative cases filed in Texas), and about 30%
criminal cases. And, we wrote approximately 1,000 opinions
per year as a court (roughly 150 per justice per year). Courts are
busy, and every judge brings a finite amount of knowledge from
his/her background to the bench.
