A huge honor has been bestowed in New York. John Giardino, Managing Partner of our NYC office, is one of the select few that has been chosen to serve on the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) COVID-19 Task Force. The assembled team—10 lawyers in all— consists of ABOTA National Board members representing a balance of plaintiff and defense attorneys nationwide. Together, they will address pandemic-related issues impacting the legal profession, the judicial system, and the public.
Like all other aspects of life in a world colored by coronavirus, courthouses have been widely affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. All around the country, courts and litigants alike have been stymied by closures, stays, and a deferral of trials. As part of ABOTA’s task force, John will work to help guide the administration of civil trials in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Toward that end, he will offer his input as to how ABOTA can provide judges with the resources and options necessary to conduct hearings and non-jury trials, and the technology that will allow for jury trials, with jurors participating remotely.
This is a big deal and great recognition of John’s trial expertise. Founded in 1958, ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Membership in ABOTA is by invitation only and consists of only 7,600 lawyers and judges spread among 96 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Michelman & Robinson prides itself on it litigation prowess, and with John among those at the helm, it is easy to see why. We congratulate him and the rest of ABOTA’s COVID-19 Task Force.