Leah Godesky, with O'Melveny & Myers.

O'Melveny & Myers

Tell us about your biggest trial win from January 2018 through June 2019 and how you achieved the result for your client.

Our win in Kentucky was the result of a yearlong collaboration between O'Melveny and the [American Civil Liberties Union]. It's a privilege to work shoulder-to-shoulder with subject-matter experts like the amazing team at the ACLU, and we functioned from beginning to end as one fully integrated team. O'Melveny litigators look forward to nothing more than an opportunity to meet an adversary in a courtroom, and hold them to the applicable burden of proof. We did just that—in striking down the law at issue, the judge found  that the evidence showed the Commonwealth's purported interests were not sufficient to justify the substantial obstacle to women's constitutionally protected right to access abortion care.

Share two trial tips that have been key to your success.

1) Your paralegal and technology expert are the most important members of your trial team. Choose wisely and treat them well!

2) Trial preparation begins during the earliest stages of discovery: A powerful cross-examination is nearly impossible without an effective deposition.