Public Defense

Listen up!

By Gideon

We talk a lot, as lawyers. It’s in our job description. The old classic misnomer is that if you can debate or argue well, you’ll make a good lawyer. We do it all the time: we talk to judges, we talk to clients, we talk to each other. Talk, talk, talk. It gets exhausting after a while.

The one thing no one tells us to do, or teaches us to do, is listen. Listening is just as important as talking in our line of work (in any, really). Over the past month, I’ve seen clients get angry at their lawyers because the lawyers didn’t listen, I’ve seen lawyers lose out on good deals because they didn’t listen to judges.

It isn’t that hard, or is it? Are we that ego-centric that all we care about is spewing our bit and then watching it waft into the world, while the important information from those around us misses us.

It really is the death-knell for a good lawyer - the inability to listen.

I was already resolute in my decision to listen, but the past month has made me that much more sure. Try it sometime; it might surprise you.

Full post as published by A Public Defender on March 10, 2009 (boomark / email).