I seem to be drawn to articles dispensing advice this week -- here’s another good one:  Judge Victoria Gerrard Chaney just penned a great article on courtroom etiquette for the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Journal.  The article also includes some excellent advice from Nancy Kaiser for those who are making their first appearances in court.  Judge Chaney has a pretty extensive list of etiquette "don’ts":

• Don’t answer your cell phone or use your Blackberry in the courtroom. 
• Don’t engage in heated exchanges with opposing counsel in the courtroom -- work out your differences somewhere else rather than asking the judge to serve as referee.
• Don’t swig from bottles of water while addressing the court.  Judge Chaney sternly opines that "[u]nscrewing a water bottle, tipping it toward the heavens, and gulping may be acceptable after a jog or in your car but not in the courtroom, especially while addressing the judge on the record or arguing to the jury."
• When arguing motions, don’t read directly from the pleadings.
• Last but not least, don’t drive the court reporter crazy by talking over others in the courtroom or by speaking too softly or too quickly.

Thanks to WSJ’s Law Blog for the tip.