A Federal Judge Praises Susman Godfrey For Letting A Young Associate Cook - Above the Law

"The thing that actually defines the firm's identity, the thing all those other choices flow from, is the trial work. Susman is, at its core, a firm that tries cases. And trying cases means putting lawyers in front of judges. Young lawyers."

"Judge Jon Tigar of the Northern District of California stopped proceedings to deliver what amounted to a public service announcement to the entire bar. The judge walked through Salzman's credentials methodically - the Chicago JD, the clerkships, the less-than-a-year tenure at Susman - before delivering his verdict: "And nonetheless, the firm thought it would be a good idea for you to argue in the federal court. And what I want to say to Susman Godfrey is: Good for you. Good for you, really.""

""He had the argument, and he just ... knocked it out of the park," said partner Rohit Nath, who argued alongside him. Nath was quick to note that this wasn't a special occasion or a calculated risk - it was just how the firm operates. "This was really kind of our standard practice. If we have an argument, there are some arguments that the senior lawyer handles. There's some"

Susman Godfrey’s defining focus is trying cases, which requires putting lawyers in front of judges, including young attorneys. In a federal courtroom, Judge Jon Tigar paused proceedings to address the bar about Dylan Salzman, a first-year Susman associate. Salzman had strong credentials, including a University of Chicago Law School degree and two clerkships, one at the district court level and one at the Seventh Circuit, before joining the firm less than a year earlier. Judge Tigar praised the firm for allowing Salzman to argue in federal court. The associate’s performance was described as excellent by a partner who argued alongside him, and the firm’s approach was characterized as standard practice rather than a special exception.

Read at Above the Law