Civil Litigators Practice and Procedure Intensive
Issues covered include: pleadings, particulars, defences, preparing witnesses, affidavits, trial preparation
Description
This unique and practical intensive brings together an esteemed panel of litigators, the Hon. Justice James Stevenson and Supreme Court Prothonotary Rebel Kenna to provide a practical exposé on some crucial skills and procedures that are vital to a civil litigator’s practice. Address the common pitfalls in pleadings, particulars and defences via a practical workshop, examine in detail preparing witnesses and perfecting affidavits, gain insights from the registrar and review the do’s and don’ts in trial preparation.
Attend and earn 4 CPD units in Professional Skills
This seminar was recorded in NSW on 20 March 2019
Chair: Dr Ronald Desiatnik, Barrister, NSW Bar; editor, Lawbook Co.’s District Court Law Reports (NSW), Thomson Reuters
9.00am to 9.20am: VIEW FROM THE BENCH: Opening Address
Presented by The Hon. Justice James Stevenson, Supreme Court of NSW
9.20am to 10.45am: PRACTICAL SKILLS WORKSHOP: Pleadings, Particulars and Defences: What, When, Where, How?
- Avoiding common pitfalls
- Evidence required for proper pleadings
- Conforming to the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules
- Examples: ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’
Presented by Farid Assaf SC, Banco Chambers; Recommended Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Senior Counsel, Doyle’s Guide 2018 and Julian O’Sullivan, Barrister, Thirteen Wentworth Selborne
10.45am to 11.00am Morning Tea
11.00am to 11.45am: Preparing Witnesses and Perfecting Affidavits
- Revisiting ethical and practical considerations
- Formal requirements
- Perfecting your drafting style
- Ensuring admissibility and compliance with the Evidence Act: common pitfalls to avoid
Presenting Michelle McMahon, Barrister, 6 St James Hall Chambers
11.45am to 12.30pm: A Practitioner’s Guide to Navigating the Supreme Court
- Case management in the Supreme Court: how to navigate the myriad of lists
- Online Court: what is expected of practitioners
- Recent amendments: UCPR and practice notes
- Proper communication with the Court
- Practitioners found in contempt of court: two recent examples
Presented by Prothonotary Rebel Kenna, Director and Prothonotary, Supreme Court of NSW
12.30pm to 1.15pm: Preparing for Trial: The Do’s and Don’ts
- Is it possible to be over-prepared?
- ‘Macro’ preparation: getting your ducks in a row
- ‘Micro’ preparation: the importance of sweating the small stuff (from practice notes to paperclips)
- Working with counsel: brief
- Collaborating with counsel in trial preparation
- What the courts expect: Section 56 Civil Procedure Act
- Some practical tips (do’s and don’ts)
Presented by Adrian Maroya, Barrister, Selborne Chambers
Testimonials
“Very informative and practical”