Practice checklists

• Author: Stewart Edelstein
• Pages: 359-380

359

PRACTICE CHECKLISTS

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Dealing with Clients

• Compl ete a conflicts chec k before undertaking any r epresentation.

• Beware o f scams in undertaking any r epresentation.

• Dec line a prospective repre sentation if red flags ar e raised.

• If you de cline the representati on, put it in writing.

• Befor e doing substantive work , obtain a written ret ainer agreement.

• Cons ider alternative fee arra ngements:

__ __ __ ___ __ re du ce d h o u rl y w i t h p e rf or ma n c e b o nu s

__ __ __ ___ __ bl en de d r a t e

__ __ __ ___ __ f i x ed f e e

__ __ __ ___ __ c o n ti ng e nt f ee

__ __ __ ___ __ re tr os pe c t i ve f e e b a se d on r e su lt

__ __ __ ___ __ s t r ai gh t re ta in er

__ __ __ ___ __ vo lu me d i sc ou n t

• If you under take the representatio n, meet promptly with the clie nt at

your client’s plac e of business or your offic e.

• At the fi rst client meeting

__ __ __ ___ __ es t a b li sh r ap po r t

__ __ __ ___ __ ex pl ai n t he a t to rn ey -c li en t p ri vi l eg e

__ __ __ ___ __ ex pl ai n t he pu rp os e of th e m ee ti ng

__ __ __ ___ __ ge t n e ce ss ar y i n f or ma ti on

__ __ __ ___ __ di sc us s t he do cu me nt li ti ga ti on h ol d r eq ui re me nt

__ __ __ ___ __ g et a c om mi tm en t t ha t t he cl ie nt wi ll d ev ot e t he re so ur ce s

you need (contin ued)

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360 | How to Succeed as a Tria l Lawyer

__ __ __ ___ __ di sc us s o p t io ns

__ __ __ ___ __ do n’ t pr ed ic t o u tc om e

__ __ __ ___ __ di sc us s y o u r f e e

__ __ __ ___ __ w ar n y ou r cl ie nt ab ou t p re se rv in g t he a t tor ne y- cl ie nt

privilege

__ __ __ ___ __ as k f o r m or e i nf o rm at io n

• Meet with all re presentatives of your clien t from whom you need

information.

• Early in th e representation, obt ain the documents you need .

• If you take the c ase, inform the client what mus t be done; arrange for

the help you will nee d from support sta ff, experts, and o thers; develop

an overall strate gy; and follow through.

• Work collab oratively with your client .

• Manage c lient expectations a s to time, cost, and resul t.

• De al with difficult c lients by understan ding what concerns ca use them

to be difficult.

• When you need to deliver b ad news to a client, do so prompt ly, be

direct in expl aining the significance of w hat happened, and discus s

options in your str ategy going forward.

• In preparing your clien t to testify in court, t ailor your preparation to

the experienc e, sophistication, and p ersonality of your client, f ollow-

ing the tips in the tex t.

• Be c onscientious abou t capturing and record ing your billable and non-

billable time each day.

• Af ter you have completed your repr esentation, send a le tter to the cli-

ent to that ef fect, and, if you have not done so alr eady, inform the cli-

ent of other ser vices your firm provides .

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