I know you have posted that you have been working from your office, but most of your staff is home. I did a few depositions via zoom, etc. this week and was surprised to see every attorney in their office except for me. We aren't getting much of anything by way of motions, discovery filed by opposing counsel and my ability to fill a work day is getting tenuous. Have you considered easing back in to staffing the office, know anyone else who is running their usual operations?
We are taking it a month at a time, but I think more people are starting to do what we are doing if they haven't already. I don't know anyone who is running business as usual from their offices, but some firms and lawyers are better equipped for remote operations. I can do it but I don't want to; a big part of it is mental for me. I like real-time, spontaneous collaboration, sizing people up in person, etc. But I have resigned myself to the reality of zoom depositions and we are starting those. I watched a CLE on it this week and feel a little better about it, but I will still really miss the in-person dynamic.
The presiding judge in Hartford made a comment on a webcast and predicted that they don’t expect to call any juries until spring 2021. Our business had two upcoming trials continued until next year so it is following that pattern. These are civil cases I am referring to
Yes, that is the general expectation for civil juries. To the extent there are any jury trials in 2020, criminal trials will take precedence. There will be a lot of pressure for civil cases to be tried courtside or resolved via arbitration. In general, that's a good thing for businesses; and not a good thing for individuals. Even though the vast majority of cases are resolved short of a jury verdict, leverage in negotiations usually depends on your perceived ability to deliver on the promise of a jury verdict that is closer to your demand than it is to the other side's offer. Without the ability to deliver on that promise, at least in the near term, that leverage is will inevitably be diminshed imo.