Partners in Pain

We all have "difficult" clients.  Today's version is the client who gets s second opinion, who reads all the relevant cases, the statutes, and insists on butting in when you're preparing his witnesses.  Unlike the clients who do all this and still have no clue what is going on, who try to tell you how to run the case and they're totally wrong, this client understands.  He could act like a pain and tell me what to do, and in some ways he does.  What he comes across as, however, is someone who cares what happens to his life and wants to have some understanding and control in a situation which is largely out of his control.  He wants to work with me to help further his case.  He may make what I consider the wrong decision now and again, but that's because I don't agree with his point of view, and not because I think he's reacting instead of thinking things through.  He listens to all sides and arguments before making a decision.  He makes me want to be even better prepared and better versed in the issues than I am already because I don't want to let him down.  After all, he's my teammate - Here in the Trenches.