Why do many lawyers suck ? Let’s face it, lawyers have a bad reputation. And I’ll admit, it’s often well deserved. The problem is the inherent conflict of interest between a lawyer and the client, and this is magnified in the field of criminal law.
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Why do many lawyers suck ? Let’s face it, lawyers have a bad reputation. And I’ll admit, it’s often well deserved. The problem is the inherent conflict of interest between a lawyer and the client, and this is magnified in the field of criminal law. A person is …
Apr 12, 2016 · TL;DR Nutshell: A common complaint from startups about their law firms is that, while they like their corporate counsel, the ‘specialists’ (patent, employment, benefits, export, etc.) that they end up working with suck. The core reason for this usually has to do with the incentives of large, outdated law firms to cross-sell their poorly-fitted specialists, even when better …
Originally Answered: What are some drawbacks to the lawyer profession? Being a lawyer can be and usually is damn hard, stressful, risky work, with a lot of responsibility to people, and overhead and expenses to keep an office running. Long hours. Deadlines. Details. Conflict. Did I already mention stress? Well, it’s worth mentioning again.
Why do many lawyers suck ? Let’s face it, lawyers have a bad reputation. And I’ll admit, it’s often well deserved. The problem is the inherent conflict of interest between a lawyer and the client, and this is magnified in the field of criminal law. A person is in trouble with the law and turns to a lawyer for help.
I received a call not long ago from a former client who had been involved in a hit and run. It was late at night a few days prior, in a neighborhood he was unfamiliar with. He backed into a vehicle, and then panicked and drove away. He had no idea if anyone saw him or not. Obviously, the right move would have been to stop and leave a note.
As you’ve been reading this, perhaps you’re wondering, “I can tell my lawyer sucks, but how can I spot the signs of a good lawyer?” Here are five signs you’re dealing with a lawyer you can trust: 1 Responsive to your needs: a lawyer that is available for your questions, and proactively updates you on case developments 2 Transparent in decisions: a lawyer that readily provides both the detail and “why” behind each decision and fee. 3 Beyond reproach with the law: you should never have the slightest doubt your lawyer is working against the law. Instead, your lawyer should be able to demonstrate your rights, the law and their actions, every step of the way. 4 Personally invested in your case: you need a lawyer that truly cares about your freedom and the outcome of your case, not just a payday from your wallet. 5 Well respected in the legal community: your lawyer should command the respect of the court, community and clients alike.
Winning over a jury means presenting a thoughtful case with logic and conviction. If your lawyer seems unenthusiastic or wishy-washy when they’re speaking to you, imagine how a jury is going to react to them presenting your case.
Lack of Enthusiasm for Your Case. Winning over a jury means presenting a thoughtful case with logic and conviction. If your lawyer seems unenthusiastic or wishy-washy when they’re speaking to you, imagine how a jury is going to react to them presenting your case.
Responsive to your needs: a lawyer that is available for your questions, and proactively updates you on case developments. Transparent in decisions: a lawyer that readily provides both the detail and “why” behind each decision and fee.
Many lawyers live lives of constant conflict, since their opponents are just as interested in winning their cases as they are. Some people (like me) love this, but others find this life to be incredibly stressful.
A lawyer’s responsibility is to take on other people’s problems and find solutions. It’s a challenging and intellectual pursuit, but it’s also a stressful one. Some clients are difficult to deal with on a personal basis. Some clients have (grossly) unrealistic expectations of what can be done within the law.
The nature of the attorney-client relationship. A lawyer’s responsibility is to take on other people’s problems and find solutions. It’s a challenging and intellectual pursuit, but it’s also a stressful one. Some clients are difficult to deal with on a personal basis.
Most legal work is reading, researching, drafting documents, reviewing other documents, and occasional communication with one’s opponent. For some lawyers, that’s all the work they do, but in any event, the ratio of work to “action” is very high. 5. For many lawyers, the money isn’t great.
1. The work. Most attorneys work about six days a week, generally fifty plus hours per week, and the norm now is to be available anywhere at any time. It is not uncommon during extreme times (trial, an important deal closing, etc.) for those hours to increase substantially and days off to become elusive. I’ve had stretches in my career ...
One of the most important concepts founders need to understand in interacting with lawyers is that lawyers, just like doctors, have specialties and even sub-specialties; at least the good ones do. Corporate law is a specialty. Startup/VC Law is a sub-specialty of corporate law.
You would think that, as a startup/VC lawyer at a boutique law firm, I would always tell companies that they should avoid BigLaw and choose focused boutiques instead (the “ecosystem” I write about). You’d be wrong.
The “max out” size of boutique firms varies with their structure and the credentials of their attorneys (particularly partners, who manage the large deals). At MEMN, we say about $400MM is where our model usually stops making sense, and we’ll even assist a client in finding successor counsel to handle that size of deal.
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Before you can move forward and become happy professionally, you need to first uncover what the core reason for your current unhappiness as a lawyer.
Even though being a lawyer may not be your calling, we know there is another "alternative" career out there for you that you can enjoy, make good money in and add through which you can value to others.
Something that I know to be true, but have a difficult time explaining: working in Biglaw is the worst. Now, folks that have been there immediately understand that truth, but for the uninitiated, it can be a tough sell.
PLI’s litigation programs help you keep up with the law and grow your skills while earning CLE. From white collar crime to class actions to…
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