Legal Research

"You Need To Find Clients That Share Your Values"

This post was written by Chuck Newton: "...New attorneys tell me all of the time that they do not know in what area or niche to limit their practice. They blame this for the lack of business, and more importantly their new found dislike for clients and the practice of law. I think the bigger problem is that these attorneys do not accurately project their values, and as a result they are not attracting clients that share their values. It is simply hard to represent people everyday that do not share the lawyer's values. It makes the lawyer apprehensive. It makes the relationship potentially adversarial apart from the legal issue at hand. That tension will flat wear anybody out.

The first step for new attorneys, especially, is to define for themselves their values in the practice of law. What is it for which the lawyer stands?  What remedies does the lawyer provide to people, companies, entities or organizations?

In a more personal sense, how do you approach a case? Regardless of legal procedures, is your word to other attorneys your bond? Are you a sly devil that likes to surprise the other side, or do you believe in getting the whole case out in the open and let the chips fall where they may?  Are you a gamer? I am not being judgmental, but you need to understand yourself.

Think carefully about how, exactly, do you define zealous representation.  I guarantee that it will define your values. There are some attorneys who take this concept to the nth degree. I knew an attorney that almost got disbarred when asked about his apparently overly zealous representation of a client against the IRS when he informed the court multiple times that he did not, as a result of this concept, owe a duty of candor to the court.

I can guarantee you that whether you have had a good look in the mirror or can define yourself, that your colleagues will size you up pretty accurately and quickly.

You have to understand yourself before you can project yourself. And, the way you project yourself will determine what types of people make their way to your office..."

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Source: Chuck Newton Rides the Third Wave, 6 September 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on September 07, 2010 (boomark / email).