Note: This article was excerpted from The Education of a Lawyer, by Gary Muldoon, published by the American Bar Association. It is available at a discount to ABA Young Lawyers Division members.
Client Control
Gary Muldoon
About half the practice of a decent lawyer consists in telling would-be clients that they are damned fools and should stop.
A good attorney is one who can maintain “client control.”
In a lawsuit, the authority is divided between the client and the attorney. Certain things are the absolute authority of the client—in a criminal case, for example, whether to plead guilty or to waive a jury trial—while strategic issues are the realm of the attorney.
Premium Content For:
- Current ABA Member