Whitney Untiedt: Leading Virtual Law Practice Innovator
As courtrooms across the country embrace technology in response to the coronavirus lock-down, Freidin Brown, P.A. attorney Whitney Untiedt is drawing upon her considerable trial experience and professional leadership to help other attorneys navigate the uncharted waters of virtual advocacy. Whitney has developed and contributed to several resources for lawyers who must quickly add new skills and strategies to their advocacy toolbox.
Whitney currently serves on the National Institute of Trial Advocacy Board of Trustees and The Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section Executive Council, and she is regularly sought after for her thought leadership on emerging issues in trial advocacy – which has naturally led to her role in developing forward-thinking solutions to crisis-driven issues. Courthouses may be closed, but the civil justice system continues to move forward.
“As trial lawyers, we are trained to think on our feet and to be prepared for any contingency in the courtroom,” Whitney explains. “In these times of uncertainty, that nimbleness has by necessity been redirected towards making quick-fire adjustments to the new normal of virtual advocacy.”
Whitney recently led “The New Normal: Practical and Legal Considerations for Remote Depositions and Mediations,” a webinar currently available on-demand from The Florida Bar. On May 4, she will join Hillsborough County Judge Jessica Costello to present “Business As (UN)Usual: Remote Hearings in the COVID Crisis and Beyond,” a live, interactive CLE designed to guide lawyers in honing their advocacy skills for maximum effectiveness in newscaster-style video hearings. Whitney is also authoring an upcoming NITA publication, where she dissects ethical and evidentiary considerations for lawyers participating in remote hearings involving a pro se litigant.
“Our clients’ needs haven’t disappeared in the wake of the coronavirus. In reality, it’s more important now than ever that attorneys work diligently to protect client interests and move cases forward,” Whitney says. “In order to serve our clients effectively, lawyers have no choice but to adapt our practices to the changing legal landscape – and the sooner, the better.”
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