The Honorable Michael C. Sullivan, Senior Judge (retired), Deschutes County
1. If you want all the court staff at your courthouse to know you, just be rude to one of them. Suggesting Court staff are overpaid and asking for extra help is not productive. Although Judges may forget or forgive bad behavior, staff does neither.
2. Bring your calendar with you when coming to court. If a matter needs to be set for a hearing or trial, it expedites the process.
3. Submit Exhibits/Witness lists to the court recorder before the hearing with a copy as well for the Judge. Do not rely on the court clerk to mark your exhibits for you or prepare an exhibit list.
4. Don’t have your clients contact the Judge’s chambers with their questions.
5. Remember to include the position of the other side when requesting a continuance or other immediate relief.
6. File appearances and substitution of counsel as soon as possible so notices go out correctly.
7. As soon as a case settles, notify the schedulers.
8. If you are scheduled to be in two or more court rooms at the same time, be sure to let staff know so they don’t have to look or call for you.
9. Hearing or trial notices should be looked at and read.
10. If you have a witness or party appearing by phone in a court room, bring your credit card as you will be paying for that call. Please be familiar with and how to use the credit card. Do not ask or direct the staff to make your calls.
11. The courts are not required to supply you with equipment during your presentation. If you request to use court equipment make sure you know how to use it and do it in a timely manner.
12. If you must approach court staff during a hearing, please ask first if you can talk to them. The recorders are trying to make a good record and prepare log notes. It is very distracting when you approach court staff in the middle of another hearing and start talking to them.
13. If you have something before the court and you file motions or other documents late, please have courtesy copies for the judge and the other attorney.
14. Making faces or announcing your displeasure with a Judge’s ruling always seems unprofessional to a Judge and a jury.
15. Being unprepared is particularly noticeable to a jury.
16. If you are unkind or rude to the other side, it hurts your case with the jury.
17. Video presentations in court fail almost half the time. Make sure the equipment is actually functioning before attempting to use it. Always have a Plan B in the event it does not operate in the manner expected.
18. Don’t force the staff to retrieve you and your client at the end of a break or lunch. Being late after lunch because the service was slow is not a good excuse.
19. Please do not under estimate the length of your trial or motion to get a faster hearing. It is counterproductive and in many cases takes longer to get the matter resolved.
20. If you are done with a hearing and another one is starting, please take your client and others you need to speak with to the lobby.
21. If you have security concerns please advise the staff as soon as possible. Don’t complain about security lines etc. We want people to go home safe at the end of the day.
22. Remember to silence your cell phone in court. Inappropriate rings may seem funny to you, but not so much to folks who have their future at stake.
23. Advise your client how to dress appropriately in court. Profanity on T shirts, etc. are not appreciated by the court. My remedy is have offenders come back the next day.
24. If there is an issue in court, please don’t blame your administrative assistant publicly. It may be true, but it almost always sounds bad.
25. Your credibility with the court is important. Never say or do anything that would cause the court to question your ethics.