Although there are many areas of law, the law in the US can basically be broken down into criminal and tort; civil litigation lawyers in Chicago are those that handle civil or tort cases rather than criminal. A criminal lawyer represents clients in court; a civil litigation lawyer can either file a lawsuit on behalf of a client or be called upon to defend a client who is being sued. To adequately represent the client, regardless of whether he or she is plaintiff or defendant requires that the lawyer has a host of skills.
Tort law is extremely wide in its application and as a result most civil litigation lawyers in Chicago will focus on specific areas of the law; they may handle personal injury cases, medical malpractice, auto accidents or even wrongful death. Lawyers have a tendency to limit their practice areas as the laws that pertain to any particular legal area are very complex.
Law is not static, laws pertaining to the lawyers chosen practice areas are always changing, this means that the practicing lawyer not only has to full understand the current substantive law he or she must be constantly be aware of changes that can affect the outcome of a case they are involved in. A civil litigation lawyer must also be fully aware and constantly refining their knowledge of the rules of procedure, evidence and the local court.
Of course in-depth familiarity of the law is of paramount importance as is knowledge of the rules of evidence and procedure, but, the lawyer must also be a master of persuasion. In the event the case goes to court the lawyer must continually working toward convincing the court and the jury to decide in favor of his or her client. This can be extremely difficult at times if for example the lawyer is defending a client in a class action suit where a product manufactured by the client may have been responsible for injuries.
There are a number of phases in the litigation process and civil litigation lawyers in Chicago must understand the complexities of everyone them. During the pre-trial phase the lawyer needs how to interview witnesses in an effort to validate the viability of the clients claim. The lawyer must be persuasive with his or her writing skills, drafting the complaint in such a way that it presents the client’s case in a favorable light. Once the case goes to trial the lawyers skills at interrogation coupled with knowledge of the law will make a big difference in whether the result is favorable for the client or not. For more information visit the site attorneyzim.com
