The Reappearing Judge

Abstract

Many lawyers and academics lament that trial court judges spend too much time working alone in their chambers and not enough time interacting with parties and counsel. Some link this phenomenon to the rise of judicial case management. This article questions the assumption that judges must disappear from the public view in order to actively manage their cases. To the contrary, the best case management practices reconnect trial judges with lawyers and the litigants they represent, making them more visible not less. This article profiles several case management practices that, when employed properly, enhance both the visibility of the judge and the effectiveness of the pretrial process.