An Associate's Reflections on Her First Oral Argument

I had several appeals pending earlier this year, so it wasn’t a complete surprise when I received the order from the Florida Third District Court of Appeal setting one of them for oral argument. I had been waiting for this opportunity since law school. Although this would be my first real oral argument, I had (or thought I had) some experience with appellate arguments through participating in my law school’s moot-court program and clerking for an appellate judge. What I didn’t realize is that nothing can really prepare you for your first oral argument—except, of course, preparation itself.

Republished with permission. This article first appeared in Section of Litigation: Appellate Practice, published by the American Bar Association on July 1, 2014.

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