Working with Clients

• Author: William J. Edwards and Risa Grand
• Pages: 249-258

249

Chapter

I often tell people that I may not be the brightest star in the legal constel-

lation, but that what makes a good attorney is that I am nice to my clients.

The importance of this statement is that for me, the foundation of successful

representation and advocacy is the attorney-client relationship. And when

working with people with mental disabilities, this requires not only patience

but also an understanding of how their unique disability impacts how they

interact with counsel.

This chapter by William J. Edwards and Dr. Risa Grand gives practical

advice for establishing rapport with the client, identifying indicators of mental

disability, and gathering the records most needed to document your client’s

mental disability and advocate for the appropriate support serves in order to

prevent him or her from reoffending.

• • •

To provide effective assistance of counsel, it is essential that a defense

attorney understand, identify, and seek an expert evaluation for a client

who may have a mental disability. Although lawyers are not doctors and

therefore may not be able to specifically diagnose a mental condition,

counsel should know when to make appropriate referrals to psychiatrists

and psychologists, court liaisons, social workers, and other mental health

professionals to assist in the evaluation of a client for competency, mit-

igation, and for the development of a mental defense, including a plea

of not guilty by reason of insanity. This chapter will highlight different

Working with Clients

William J. Edwards and Risa Grand

14