Ethical Issues Arising in NJ Criminal and Civil Trial Practice

Trial counsel must balance a fine line between zealous advocacy and ethical conduct. On the one hand judges can be overbearing. On the other, clients, with unrealistic expectations, will try to pressure the attorney to advocate beyond the rules. What is the attorney’s ethical responsibility when trial counsel knows the client intends on testifying falsely? There are a multitude of issues counsel will face in the courtroom. Compounding the problem is the fact that the attorney will be appearing before a judge that has never tried a case before.  The courtroom can be a dangerous place for witnesses and their counsel. 

In this course, Anthony Iannarelli, a member of the New York and New Jersey Bars, introduces some of the most common ethical pitfalls that he has experienced in his twenty seven years of experience with civil and criminal trial practice.  

Learning Objectives:

I.    Learn how to identify ethical issues before the trial actually begins

II.   Understand how to remedy problems before they spin out of control

III.  Recognize the limitations on damage control once the trial begins

IV.  Think out strategies for dealing with opposing counsel who are not playing by the rules

V.   Learn how to educate judges on the facts so their ruling will be, if not reasonable, at least fair

VI.  Identify what to do when you encounter the hostile judge

This course originally appeared as a part of our June 2015 Bridge the Gap Event.