A Rare Experience

I have been a lawyer for 23 years, and worked here in the Trenches for 17 of them.  In that time, we have prepared countless clients and witnesses for trial.  We work with them on their testimony, their demeanor, their choice of language, their general attitude.  All of that work is to further our global vision and theory of the case (yes, we always have one).  We know what matters to the court and what doesn't. Heck, we've been doing this a long time.  Some clients blow us off - they don't need to prepare and they don't need us to tell them what to do.  Some listen to us, then forget most of what we tell them when they get into the courtroom.  Some listen to us, do some of what we tell them and then forget the rest.  Almost all of them don't understand the strategy and the purpose behind our instructions, they don't see the big picture of that we're trying to accomplish, so they are like decent actors playing a part.  It is a rare client who gets it all, understands what we're doing, why we're doing it - the method to our madness, so to speak.  They internalize the message and understand how they have to testify, what they need to say, and embody what they need to project.  They work with us in the courtroom like a team.   In 17 years in the Trenches, there have been exactly 2 of those clients.  In a lot of ways, it's a shame there aren't more of them because giving us their best enables us to give them our best.  Not only are we more energized in the Trenches with these clients, but the case flows better.  It's a cleaner, clearer presentation for the court, and gives the client their best chance to be heard and understood by the judge.  The judge's decision, well that's ultimately out of our control, but at the end of the day, we've done our best.  Here in the Trenches.