A New Pair of Running Shoes

I got a new pair of running shoes on Saturday.  In the infinite wisdom of running shoe companies, they decided to change the shoes I love.  The new model?  It doesn't fit.  Ergo, I headed out to the running shoe store.  Back when I first started running in earnest, I had no clue how to choose a running shoe.  I walked into a running store, looked at the wall of 50 shoes and picked a pair.  Sometimes I had help that found me the right pair (until the company changed the design).  Sometimes, I ended up with more than a few pairs that didn't fit right.  In fact, one of those pairs created such a problem that I had trouble wearing heels for years and couldn't run for six months.  Sorry, I digressed.  This time, I walked into the running store, explained what I needed, what the shoe had to be like - wide toe box, zero drop, fairly light weight - and tried on what they had.  I ignored all the other pretty shoes because I knew they were wrong for me.  The lovely man who was helping me tweaked the size, the width and the model until I found the right pair.  Easy.  I left happy and had a great run that afternoon.

Running shoes are like lawyers.  There are a lot of different lawyers.  They are all alike, in that they are all lawyers.  Like running shoes, however, one lawyer is not like another.  One size does not fit all.  That's why there are so many different types of running shoes - everyone needs something different.  That's why there are so many different types of lawyers - everyone needs someone different.  The problem in the Trenches is that most people are only here once.  They don't have the benefit of experience or trial and error to know the difference between one that's a a good fit and one that could cause more harm than good.  Most people don't figure out which one they have until it's too late.  WAIT.  I take that back.  Most people do know, they just don't pay attention.  It's kind of like the running shoe that really hurt my foot.  It didn't feel right from the beginning.  What did I do?  I minimized my feelings.  I told myself I was just being the princess and the pea.  As my foot hurt more, I told myself something else was causing the problem - old age perhaps? I had clues all along; I simply ignored them.

Isn't that what clients do?  Aren't they human too?  They're usually pretty good at it.  I'm sure most of them knew something was wrong with their marriage or their relationship a long time before they ended up in my office.  They told themselves it was just a phase, that thing would get better.  Only, they didn't.  Things just kept getting worse until one day, well, they are in my office.  It's human nature.  You would think that these same people, having ignored that feeling in their gut that something wasn't right, wouldn't ignore it again.  You would think that the minute they had that feeling that this wasn't the right lawyer for them, they would address the issue immediately.  You would think they would talk to the lawyer, and if it still didn't feel right, change lawyers.  You would think that and you would be wrong.  You see, people who have ignored their gut feelings for so long aren't in touch with their gut anymore.  They also don't know they don't have to stay with the first attorney they choose.  Cases take a long time to work their way through the system or through settlement negotiations.  The wrong lawyer can make it feel like it takes longer than it does, and because they are not speaking the same language, can reach a resolution that is not what the client desires.  The right lawyer can shorten the process and help the client reach an acceptable resolution.  Here in the Trenches.