The Delaware State Courts will be closed on Tuesday, November 5th for Election Day. Justice of the Peace Court 11 (New Castle County) and Court 7 (Kent County) will remain open 24 hours and Justice of the Peace Court 3 (Sussex County) will be open from 6AM – 12PM (no new cases after 11:00PM).

Sussex County Courts including Justice of the Peace Court 2, 4, and 17 will be closing at noon on Thursday, November 7th for Return Day. JP Court 14 will be closed the entire day due to proximity to Return Day events.

  1. Delaware Courts
  2. Superior Court
  3. Vincent A. Bifferato Trial Practice Forum

Vincent A. Bifferato Trial Practice Forum


The Trial Forum's Background


The Trial Practice Forum was begun in 1988 by Judge Vincent A. Bifferato Sr. who was then Superior Court's senior judge.

Judge Bifferato, together, with attorneys Kevin Brady, Kevin O'Connell, and Kathleen McDonough sought to find an educational and social alternative to the Inns of Court which he felt was unable to meet the needs of young attorneys and those practicing in small firms or government.

Vincent A. Bifferato Sr.

The goal of the forum was to provide free continuing legal education (CLE) credits to those who are just starting out in their career and to offer those young attorneys a chance to become acquainted with each other as well as with more experienced attorneys.

Originally, the focus of the forum was on both criminal and civil matters, but the steering committee changed the focus to concentrate on civil subjects because of a lack of interest in criminal matters. The current steering committee leaves open the possibility of including criminal matters if an interest is expressed.

In 2000, the name of the forum was officially changed to the Vincent A. Bifferato Trial Practice Forum to honor the founder and the inspiration for the Forum.

The current forums are usually two hours in length and are usually presented in the Jury Services Assembly room or in Courtroom 8B of the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center (formerly New Castle County Courthouse) sometime between the hours of 2:30 P.M. and 4:30 P.M.; location and time may vary as needs require. As envisioned by the founders, admission is still free and there is no need to register, but you must sign-in when you arrive. For more information on the forum please call Lisa Iannelli at (302) 255-0960.