A report on judges' evaluations of lawyers' performance in federal district courts and courts of appeals, undertaken in response to Chief Justice Burger's criticism of federal court advocacy. Based on surveys of trial and appellate judges and attorneys, as well as on ratings of videotaped trial performance, the study analyzes relationships between performance and lawyer characteristics (role in case, size of law office, and lawyer's age, experience, and education) and identifies areas of deficiency in trial and appellate skills.
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The Quality of Advocacy in the Federal Courts: A Report to the Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States to Consider Standards for Admission to Practice in the Federal Courts
January 1, 1978
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