Process Servers North Carolina

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A CHAT WITH YOUNG LAWYERS

How the pandemic has changed the practice of law

Process Servers North Carolina First of all, what are your successes, words of wisdom, and best advice, given or received. Overwhelmingly, committee members responded that simply picking up the phone and calling someone has been invaluable. A year ago, just before face-to-face meetings ended abruptly, it was easier to walk down the hall or meet someone for coffee when we needed to ensure clarity. But now that email is the norm for communication, Process Servers North Carolina clarity can sometimes be hard to come by because email lacks tone. Everyone agreed that to avoid confusion or misunderstandings, call the person quickly.

Gone (for now) are the days of after-work cocktails and get-togethers, the places where we used to network and meet new people. But networking is an integral part of being a lawyer. How have you managed networking and mentoring in this virtual world? One member noted that before the pandemic, her firm held regular lunches to ensure that new staff members and attorneys got to know each other. With the pandemic, ...
... they have transitioned to a virtual platform so that newer employees still get the same experience and don't feel lost or out of the loop.

Another Process Servers North Carolina person pointed out that virtual meetings actually give you more time to be with more people; When you don't have to take travel time into account, it is much easier to make two or three calls in a day, whereas before it was possible I have only been able to make lunch or coffee in the morning. Everyone agreed on the importance of reaching out to people and making sure they feel connected.

And it is not just networking that has changed in the practice of law. As one member pointed out, you are constitutionally entitled to a speedy criminal trial; the same does not apply to a civil trial. In some areas, civil cases are deferred for several months. Many counties in North Carolina allow virtual hearings; however, some are still holding trials in person, forcing lawyers to travel to those counties. A perfect example is the member Process Servers North Carolina who had just returned from a deposition in New Hanover County that had to be in person. She commented that while it was a long trip, almost from one end of the state to another, the time in the car gave her time to think and be out of the home/office that we don't usually have these days.

But that doesn't change the fact that tests can still be difficult to administer. A county may be open to trials because it has a larger court that can ensure social distancing and accommodate jury trials, while smaller counties do not have room for a jury trial. And once you have the go-ahead to have the jury trial, the next hurdle is finding 10 people who are willing and able to be on a jury panel. These are situations that we will continue to face in the coming months.

Turning these pandemic-caused changes into an asset and seeing the bright side has been on many people's minds lately. We may be in this for a while longer, so how do we make the most of it? And the conversation really returned to one of the original points: Picking up the phone and making an effort to communicate personally has been a game-changer in the new normal.

The irony of the pandemic is that, in some way, we have become better communicators. And communication will be key when everything finally opens up because at that moment everything that has been left in the background will suddenly have to be programmed. That's Process Servers North Carolina where everyone who is learning Zoom can come in handy: Client meetings that used to be in person can move to virtual meetings, allowing for multiple meetings in one day, freeing up time for in-person cases, and also saving your client money. Of course, online meetings have their drawbacks: not everyone has reliable Internet access. Someone noticed that one of his clients struggled to find a good wi-fi signal, making it almost impossible to take the statement from him. Plus, Process Servers North Carolina online-only meetings take away some of the humanity we were used to when meeting in person.

You cannot know what the judge is feeling because he cannot read his body language. Mixing in court halls with other attorneys when there are face-to-face trials is prohibited, but it eliminates the possibility of establishing relationships that could be beneficial in the future.
The practice of law can never return to "normal." But the pandemic has offered a unique opportunity to step back and evaluate the profession. For better and for worse. As one member put it, "It is difficult to predict the potential assets of this experience as we remain in the midst of it, I am sure everyone will come out of it with different lessons.