Rookie Lawyers Learn the Paper Chase : Attorneys Are Taught Practical Things--Like Being Nice to the Judge

Talk about humiliating.

There he was, Herman B. Santos, attorney at law, with a snazzy new business card, a sober court wardrobe, his very first client--and a few things to learn.

It was his first solo case out of law school. A simple divorce. But somehow, he had screwed up. His client was screaming at him on the phone. She was furious. And rightfully so. The documents he had prepared--for a $1,000 fee--had been rejected by a court clerk as inadequate.

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” his client yelled before firing him.

Santos, rueful, had to agree.

That’s why he showed up Saturday for the Los Angeles Municipal Court’s first-ever seminar for rookie lawyers, a how-to course titled “Getting Things Done in the People’s Court.”

The Municipal Court handles evictions, traffic violations, small claims, contract disputes and misdemeanor trials, along with preliminary hearings for felony cases. So most lawyers end up shuffling through the Grand Avenue courthouse sooner or later. Finding a parking spot can be tough enough--navigating the paperwork can be brutal.

“Law schools traditionally have been reluctant to teach the practical aspect [of working the courts],” Judge Frederick N. Wapner explained. “They take more of the ivory tower approach that ‘we teach you how to think. If you want to learn how to do practical work, go figure it out yourself.’ ”

Arman Moheban figured it out, all right--after a court clerk rejected one of his documents because he had checked off the wrong boxes. He asked for help, but the clerk snapped: “We’re not allowed to give legal advice. Go see an attorney.” Ouch. Moheban had just earned the right to add “esquire” to his name. He didn’t want to consult an attorney, he wanted to be one.

Red-faced, he hustled to register for the Municipal Court’s $30 workshop.

“You learn real quick that an ego will kill you in this business,” 29-year-old David Rickett commiserated.

Although Saturday’s audience included paralegals, secretaries and even a few veteran attorneys, most of the 240 participants were first-year lawyers. In suits and jeans, silk blouses and sweatshirts, they scribbled down fee schedules, phone numbers and endless advice on how to build a proper paper trail. Lawyers, it turns out, are not born knowing how to file motions.

“We know how to argue, but filling out papers is a problem,” fresh-faced attorney Ricky Poon said.

Or as new lawyer Adebola Adelekan put it: “We have to learn the nuts and bolts of how to work the system.”

They also have to learn the proper way to channel their zeal.

Discussing housing cases, Commissioner David A. Stephens said he had seen a few attorneys go overboard in trying to win sanctions against slum landlords.

“I’ve had people who brought in dead rats in paper bags, or cockroaches stuck on roach paper,” he said. “Yes, that’s real live evidence . . . but take a picture of the beast, will you please?”

The Los Angeles Superior Court, which handles felony and big-money civil cases, has long offered a “walk-through” seminar to introduce new lawyers to the courthouse. The Municipal Court received such a strong turnout Saturday that it too will hold workshops at least once a year, Presiding Judge Mel Red Recana said.

Judges who see the same mistakes over and over said they hope the seminars will end up saving everyone time, money and embarrassment.

“The better these lawyers perform when they get here, the easier it is for clerks, judges, opposing parties and the litigants,” said Judge Alban I. Niles, who proposed the how-to seminar two years ago.

In that spirit, instructors tossed out a few tidbits of advice that they promised would make the justice system work smoother--even if, strictly speaking, they had nothing to do with the practice of law. They urged attorneys to butter up the bailiffs. Check in with the court clerks. And smile sweetly at the judge.

Concluding a speech on settlement conferences, Judge John D. Harris reminded the crowd: “Always be sure to thank the judge. Tell him he helped you a lot--even if he didn’t.”