In a legal era dominated by discovery, summary judgments and settlements, trial experience has become increasingly rare yet increasingly valuable. Haynes Boone is betting on deep, deliberate, in-house trial training to bridge the readiness gap of a generation of lawyers more familiar with Zoom hearings than the well of a courtroom.
When I rejoined Haynes Boone as global chair of the trial practice group in August 2024, one of my principal visions was developing and spearheading an internal trial training program designed to hone trial advocacy skills in the next generation of Haynes Boone trial attorneys, while fostering team building and integration of litigators across offices. Less than a year after rejoining Haynes Boone, that vision became reality with the inaugural HB Trial Academy held May 28–30.
Launched in collaboration with noted trial consultant and author Shane Read, HB Trial Academy is more than a skills workshop, it’s a full immersion bootcamp in the art and science of trial advocacy. The inaugural HB Trial Academy brought together 16 lawyers from eight of the firm’s 19 offices for three high-impact days of instruction, hands-on workshops and live mock trials judged by seasoned Haynes Boone litigators Michael Mazzone, Thomas Williams and me, as well as one of the firm’s renowned appellate lawyers, Lynne Liberato. Our talented class of summer associates and patent agent interns served as jurors and bailiffs, getting a front-row view into the firm’s investment in training. One summer associate noted that while firms often pour significant resources into recruiting, it was refreshing to see Haynes Boone also pour its resources into training its attorneys.
As litigation becomes more complex and the stakes grow higher, firms must train lawyers who not only know the law and can write great motions, but who can also tell a compelling story under pressure. The HB Trial Academy was developed to lay a foundation upon which Haynes Boone litigators can build to eventually try disputes of consequence.
Building Better Advocates from the Inside Out
While trial-readiness training can be outsourced, HB Trial Academy was born from a recognition that trial-readiness training can be highly effective when delivered internally with outstanding trial practitioners. Training trial lawyers at Haynes Boone allows us to tailor the curriculum to our own needs, not a formulaic course’s agenda. By hosting the program internally, our attorneys can learn the “Haynes Boone way” by leveraging the talent of the firm’s seasoned litigators under the programmatic guidance of Read, a highly sought-after trial consultant and teacher.
As one of the Academy’s “Best Advocate” winners, Sam Mallick, noted, “The benefits of bringing this training in house were apparent. With external programs, some participants do not take the training seriously and the instructors are not personally invested in the students. At the HB Trial Academy, everyone gave it their all, and we learned from and trained alongside attorneys who we will go to trial with someday.”
Trial advocacy training must be cultivated within a firm’s culture. And that means investing deliberately in trial advocacy training, including real courtroom simulations. The program’s structure reflects this philosophy.
Day 1: Finding the Story and Theme
Advocates kicked off HB Trial Academy by focusing on trial theory, including crafting a story and a theme for each case, with Read. I have long admired Read’s work as a former federal prosecutor and one of the nation’s top trial skills trainers, as well as a prolific author on essential pretrial and trial skills. Collaborating with him brought structure and inspiration to the curriculum.
Read’s instruction on Day 1 emphasized how to create a clear, emotionally resonant story that threads through opening statements, witness examinations and closing arguments for maximum persuasive impact. Read challenged advocates to develop themes that resonate beyond the facts: Why does this case matter? What’s the story? What is your bottom-line message? Read also reminded advocates to build credibility in the courtroom and to minimize nerves by mastering courtroom technology and “practice, practice, practice.”
Perhaps Read’s most enduring contribution on Day 1, though, was a focus on mindset, a value he and I both share. He urged participants to adopt a “student-of-the-craft” approach: Watch real courtroom videos, study master litigators in action and remain intellectually curious.
Day 2: Mastering the Building Blocks
HB Trial Academy shifted on Day 2 to hands-on cohort-based learning sessions led by Mazzone, Read and me. Through direct instruction, peer coaching and expert-led workshops, participants refined opening statements, direct and cross-examinations, and closing arguments.
Advocates received detailed, actionable feedback, helping them refine everything from their question structure to body language. Advocates also played the role of fact and expert witnesses, broadening their understanding of courtroom dynamics.
Day 3: The Mock Trials
The capstone experience, four full mock trials, took place at UNT Dallas College of Law’s courtrooms. The stakes, while simulated, felt very real to the participants (including the mock jurors!) in the fully equipped courtrooms.
Each trial team argued a case from open to close with objections, witnesses and demonstratives, and then they listened in as summer associates serving as jurors deliberated and decided each case. Following jury deliberations, real-time critiques came from the mock trial judges, who also awarded “best advocate” and “best witness” honors in each trial.
Reflecting on the value of the mock trial experience, one advocate noted, “The biggest improvement came through the experience of getting to do trial work that I have not done before. I had not done a cross examination or closing, and I got to do both during the mock trial. It was also very educational to observe the summer associates deliberate as jurors.”
A Deliberate Culture of Collaboration
One of the program’s most innovative elements was its cohort-based, cross-office approach. I wanted our attorneys paired with colleagues from different geographies and practice groups, simulating the dynamics of a real trial team in an AmLaw 100 firm. This promotes a healthy exchange of styles and strategies, deepening the firm’s bench of trial-ready talent while fostering stronger internal bonds.
This approach also strengthens alignment across offices and practice groups, which is critical in firms with multijurisdictional practices and clients facing litigation across the country.
Participant Tara Hopkins noted, “The connections formed and doors opened by participating in HB Trial Academy are immeasurable — in the best way. As a lateral to the firm about a year-and-a-half ago, one of my core focuses has been integration and making connections within the firm. HB Trial Academy was an amazing opportunity to do just that. I had the opportunity to work with other senior associates, counsel and partners who I had not met before, on both sides of the bench.”
Lessons for Litigation Leaders
For litigation leaders, HB Trial Academy offers several key takeaways:
- Don’t wait for the courtroom to train your litigators. Trial skills must be developed well before the high-stakes moment arrives.
- Invest internally. Formal firm-wide trial training programs build consistency, culture and cross-office collaboration.
- Integrate mentorship with performance. Having seasoned trial lawyers coach more junior attorneys creates continuity in advocacy standards and builds trial teams, a crucial asset in a firm’s long-term litigation strategy.
- In an era of vanishing trials, in the long run, firms that maintain and modernize trial skills will be a client’s best bet when cases go the distance and the stakes are high.
What sets HB Trial Academy apart isn’t just its rigor but its resonance. As one of the “best advocate” and “best witness” award winners, Sean Lewis, noted, “The inaugural HB Trial Academy boils down to a simple equation: exceptional practitioners plus intense training equals trial readiness. This three-day program offered attorneys the opportunity to work with — and learn from — trial lawyers who collectively bring experience from hundreds of trials, spanning various subject matters and jurisdictions. This unparalleled access to practical training and expertise is what makes the HB Trial Academy truly unique.”
HB Trial Academy left me encouraged about the work the firm and its trials practice group is doing for its attorneys, its clients and the recruiting program. The academy signaled the message I have heralded since my return to the firm: Trial work matters. It signaled that skilled trial attorneys are willing to invest their time and expertise in up-and-coming trial lawyers, even in a world of dwindling trials, but especially in a world of nuclear verdicts and high-stakes trial matters. It signaled that in a profession that values precedent, the most compelling precedent of all is this: Trial skills can be taught, cultivated and passed on, but only if firms are willing to make the investment.