Courtroom
A Trial Advocacy Series
History
A powerhouse group of judges, public servants, trial lawyers, and leading litigators launched Courtroom, a 10-part professional development series that began on Oct. 14, 2025.
Developed in response to concerns about declining courtroom decorum and skillsets, the series focuses on restoring and strengthening trial techniques that have defined South Florida’s reputation for producing some of the nation’s most effective advocates.
The firm applies for CLE credit with The Florida Bar prior to each session, and credits are available to attorneys who attend the live, in-person program.
Supreme Court Justice Fred Lewis (Ret.), now Eminent Professor of Law and Letters at Florida Southern College, has designed the curriculum in partnership with Ira Leesfield, NBTA Board Certified Trial Attorney and Founder and Managing Partner of Leesfield & Partners. Together with distinguished advisors — including past Florida Bar presidents, leaders of national and state trial associations, chief and retired judges, federal magistrates, U.S. attorneys, and trial advocacy professors — the program promises to set a new benchmark in litigation training.
Before creating the series, Mr. Leesfield noted that he and his colleagues on the bench were repeatedly hearing concerns about subpar decorum in the courtroom and an erosion of essential advocacy skills.
Courtroom is intended to combat this concerning trend by bridging generations of courtroom knowledge with today’s evolving legal landscape, which is often interwoven with technological advancement.
The series will convene monthly through June, covering a range of litigation approaches while reinforcing the highest standards of representation that South Florida courts are known for.
Space is limited to 20 participants per session.
For registration information, please call 305-854-4900 or contact Carmen R. Marrero at Marrero@Leesfield.com or Sofia Sanchez at Sanchez@Leesfield.com.
Continued Support of Future Trial Lawyers
Leesfield & Partners moves forward with its plans to continue championing the future of trial advocacy in South Florida via the Leesfield Law Center & Campus — a state-of-the art facility beside the firm’s Miami office.
“The location, accessibility and unique features of this litigation center makes it an ideal home for practicing lawyers and their clients,” Mr. Leesfield said. “There will be both membership and individual use opportunities for lawyers who recognize the unique advantage of not traveling downtown.”
The center, available to all Florida Bar members, will feature amenities such as a practice courtroom, all-service mediation suite and breakout rooms with full technical support, a podcast and webinar studio, a cafe and more. The focus of the litigation complex will be to assist the community in accessing legal services, which includes availability to Florida Bar members and other, related bar associations.
Once completed, it will serve as the home of Courtroom.
The firm’s landmark building in Miami received the Florida Bar’s “Award of Honor” for design and its Key West office, located on historic Whitehead Street, was recognized with the “Historic Building Renovation Award.” Leesfield & Partners hopes that this building will be no different, earning recognition but also providing essential services and educational resources to the legal community.
Your “Office Away From Your Office,” Featuring:
- Arbitration/Mediation Suite with Breakout Rooms
- Practice Courtroom for Mock Trials and Focus Groups
- Webinar/Podcast Studio equipped with the latest audio/visual technology
- Class/Seminar Space
- Media Support Center
- Rooftop Cafe Cliente will offer light refreshments
Courtroom Catch-Up on YouTube
Worried you may have missed essential Courtroom insights? Visit the Leesfield & Partners YouTube channel to watch recordings from previous sessions. While the live, in-person series is available via Zoom exclusively to faculty members, session recordings are posted shortly after each event.
Although viewers who did not attend are not eligible for CLE credit, they can still benefit from invaluable, real-world courtroom lessons—shared directly by the lawyers and judges who lived them.