MASTER THE CASE,
EARN THE COURTROOM
By Madison Mougey, Esq. Madison Mougey, attorney, Levin Papantonio
In complex litigation, trial experience is built, not handed out. For young lawyers, the path to the courtroom starts by mastering the case, taking unglamorous opportunities, and stepping in long before jury selection.
At 10 years old, I didn’ t want to be a lawyer; I wanted to be a litigator. Before I knew it, I had graduated law school and found myself working at Levin Papantonio law firm, surrounded by some of the country’ s most sophisticated litigators.
In complex litigation, trials are not everyday occurrences; they’ re not even annual events. And when they do happen, the stakes are high, and the skill level is aspirational.
So here I am, fresh out of law school and hungry to litigate. Rather than wait for an opportunity to find me, I’ ve challenged myself to answer a simple question: how can a young attorney like myself participate in litigation?
What I’ ve learned is this: in complex litigation, trial experience isn’ t handed to you. It’ s something you earn, and to earn it, you must prioritize learning it. It starts with appreciating that the definition of“ litigation” extends far beyond the walls of a courtroom.
That understanding pushed me to find answers from the people around me who were already practicing at a high level. I sat down with my Levin Papantonio colleague, attorney Becca Timmons,
30 x The Trial Lawyer