For years, trials have been in decline in American courts: only 1-2% of all cases filed will eventually make it to a jury or bench trial. This decline has also meant fewer opportunities for young lawyers to sharpen their courtroom skills.
The ABA Section of Litigation has initiated a new program to give those young lawyers more courtroom experience, and the ABA’s Judicial Division has signed on. These changes cannot, by themselves, reverse all the trends that have moved litigation away from trial outcomes. But given the continued importance of trials in the American legal system, they are still welcome developments.
The Interdependent Third Branch 