Fifth Circuit Judge Advises ERISA Attorneys To Explain Basic Principles, Avoid Jargon

Employee benefits attorneys appearing in federal court should strive to simplify complex issues and avoid Employee Retirement Income Security Act-related jargon, a federal appeals court judge said during a conference session with a panel of ERISA attorneys.

Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit also advised attorneys during the Feb. 7 presentation to consider what they could do to simplify complex issues for the court, such as filing appendices with relevant Department of Labor opinions or recent rulings from other circuit courts.

The session, in which Jones was the featured panelist, was part ...