NYSBA Trial Academy Returns To Train the Next Generation of Trial Lawyers
10.19.2026
“Amateurs want praise; professionals want critiques,” was the opening guidance from Judge Mark Drummond to a room full of eager new attorneys at the 2026 New York State Bar Association Trial Academy held this month in Albany.
“This faculty has a combined 386 years of trial practice, and our sole purpose over the next four days is to make you a better litigator,” he said.
NYSBA President-Elect Michelle Wildgrube echoed that sentiment, challenging students to make the most of the program, which offers practical training and fulfills one of the association’s key missions.
“You will leave here with the confidence and expertise needed to advocate effectively for your clients in the courtroom,” she said.
The Trial Academy is back after a one-year hiatus under a new collaboration with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. The program is a multi-day, immersive experience with training on every aspect of a trial from preparation to closing arguments to verdict.
The reconfiguration of the program was a month’s long effort by the three program chairs representing the Criminal Justice Section; the Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section; and the Trial Lawyers Section.
“We are improving upon the foundation of the Trial Academy we have done in the past. The program is more student centered with more experiential learning and less lecturing,” said Michael O’Brien who was there representing the Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section.
Fellow program co-chairs Jenny Warren from the Trial Lawyers Section and Alexandra Ferlise of the Criminal Justice Section say they learned from other faculty and the students themselves during the event, improving their own trial skills.
“I was so impressed with not only the progress of the students, but the engagement of the faculty and how much they are dedicated to the Trial Academy and its students,” Ferlise said. “I do not think that this type of engagement and this type of experience can be replaced by anything else.”
The program chairs were supported by a legion of NYSBA members volunteering to teach and critique the students including Red Hook Village Justice Jonah Triebwasser.
“Trial work is 90% show business, 9% facts and 1% law,” the justice said as part of one student’s critique during closing arguments on the first day.
Ferlise was surprised by how much fun the event was and encouraged others to volunteer.
“I truly did not know what to expect in the Trial Academy. I had perhaps unexpectedly a fantastic time,” she said.
