In Part III of our continuing series, former Supreme Court of Virginia clerk Tommy Strelka shares some things he learned during his recent clerkship. Today, Tommy attacks considers oral argument:
We’re back with the second in our series of guest posts from recent Supreme Court of Virginia clerk and avid water skier Tommy Strelka. Today, Tommy shares some more things that his clerkship taught him about brief writing:
Welcome to De Novo’s inaugural guest post. Today, Tommy Strelka shares a few things that he learned during a recent clerkship with the Supreme Court of Virginia. This will be the first of several visits from Mr. Strelka, who has promised to provide us no fewer than ten–TEN!–tips.
T
ommy is currently a trial lawyer at Strickland, Diviney & Strelka in Roanoke. A Mary Washington and Richmond Law grad, he’s also clerked for Judge Turk in the Western District of Virginia. The opinions and practice tips expressed in this post are solely those of the author. They do not represent the opinions of any member of the Supreme Court of Virginia or any other Court–or, for that matter, any right-thinking person.
And now, a word from Thomas:
Clerking for a Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia was a wonderful experience that opened my eyes to appellate practice. One of my favorite aspects of the job was the knowledge that many of the attorneys who filed briefs and argued before the Court were bringing their A-game. While skill, raw talent, and experience levels varied greatly, most attorneys stepped up to the plate and gave it their best shot. That best shot might have been an incredibly polished and persuasive brief or it might have been the world’s greatest thirty-second rebuttal. But no matter what form their work product manifested, the good attorneys always oozed preparedness. With that tenet in mind, I have compiled a list of traits or practices used by the attorneys who I felt, knocked it out of the park.
On Brief