Insights & News

Litigators in the heat of battle are, understandably, focused on winning the trial. There are never any guarantees, however. The ABA has put together 10 great tips for giving your client the best chance, should the case end up in an appeals court. The article is here.

The Supreme Court of Virginia is the court of last resort for most cases brought before Virginia state courts (the exception is that, on federal issues brought in state court, some parties can ask the Supreme Court of the United States to hear their case). For civil litigation cases, the Supreme Court of Virginia’s jurisdiction to hear an appeal is discretionary; the judges have to determine whether or not they will hear the case. Here is a brief overview of the appeal process in Virginia. After a case is finally decided in the circuit court (the trial court), the unsuccessful […]

When a dispute has matured into full-blown litigation, often the relationship between the parties has soured and emotions run high. The natural result is for parties to eschew settlement and mediation and go for the all-out win in court. Mediation, however, should not be overlooked as an option, even in the most aggressive litigation strategies. Here are 3 reasons why. Litigating to trial is expensive and risky. Modern trial strategy can involve written discovery, depositions, pre-trial motions, expert witnesses, trial preparation, and (finally) trial. Each of these can be expensive and can reduce net recovery if a judgment is obtained. […]

Litigating a civil dispute in Fairfax County Circuit Court is intimidating to many lawyers, even though the court publishes a manual on its procedures. While there are a number of rules and requirements that the court uses in order to efficiently handle its very large docket and while continuances are heavily disfavored, there are a number of advantages to litigating there, such as the court’s calendar control procedures. Every weekday that the court is open, litigants in Fairfax can appear before a calendar control judge to seek various types of relief. The most common request is probably a continuance, but […]