Do you ever wonder what will endear you to a judge – or not? As a former judicial law clerk, I had a front seat view of what drove my boss crazy and applied that inside knowledge to my practice for the past 25 years.  My recent experiences have borne truth to the fact that while the times may change, judicial pet peeves don't.

One of the great fortunes I share as the co-chair of the Equity Committee is the ability to host an annual seminar that invites judges to talk about their procedures and certain practices by lawyers that cause them pain. While some of the pet peeves elucidated appear to be no- brainers for experienced lawyers, a number of judges have commented that certain practices are widespread.

So what should you do if you want to endear and not alienate your judge? Follow these tips:

  1. Make sure that the requested relief is plainly stated in your proposed order and that your brief is consistent with that relief.  Judges are irked when they see an order that asks for one thing and a brief that requests different, and sometimes multiple forms of relief. What do you want? Make it clear and consistent.
  2. Say what you mean and mean what you say. The certifications offered in connection with a motion should accurately describe the exhibits attached to it. Just last week, an adversary submitted a witness certification that did not match the exhibits it referred to and well...the judge was not pleased.
  3. Certification reminder: Rule 1:6-6 requires personal knowledge of facts not appearing of record or not judicially noticeable. A good way to lose credibility is to provide a certification based on "information that I received from others."
  4. Do not make discovery motions a fishing expedition for the judge.  If you are taking a position with respect to an interrogatory or document request, write out the specific request and incorporate your argument and that of your adversary below it. Don't refer to Interrogatory #100 attached as an exhibit and make the judge flip through certifications to try to find your reference.
  5. Be polite. Present your arguments to the Court- don't argue with your adversary.
  6. Don't file an Order to Show Cause in the Equity Court when your primary relief is legal in nature; ie, money damages.

If you are interested in learning more about the practices and pet peeves of our distinguished Equity bench, look for information about the Burlington County Bar Association's "Demystifying Chancery Practice" seminar  coming to Mount Laurel, New Jersey in January...

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.