Solos Learn From Clients’ Bad Experiences

Within the past few months, I read an article, I believe at law.com by a large firm associate, complaining about how much she disliked when other people she encountered shared their negative experiences with other attorneys.  (as I recall, in this case, the hotel bellhop had cornered her).  The associate wrote that she didn’t quite understand the complaints and about feeling as if the complainers were trying to extract an apology from her.  The entire article had a very “I’m not my brother’s keeper” tone to it and as a result, I didn’t bother to save it or post it at the time.

But now, that article’s come back to haunt me because the attitude so
diametrically opposed that of the Greatest American Lawyer, who just
posted on his own experience with being confronted with a neighbor’s complaint about his lawyer. Rather than get defensive, here’s GAL’s reaction:

Obviously, the lien was clouding title.  Incredibly, the
attorney then billed my neighbor to correct the attorney’s admitted
mistake, in addition to the phone call necessitated by his mistake.
Another dinner guest a story of being called by their attorney to see
if there was any more legal work to be done and then billing the client
for that call.

There are lots of stories about lawyers pandering for
hourly fees. There was one lawyer who told my neighbor “you can have as
much justice here as you can afford.

I think that I will make these discussions part of my
routine. What better way to learn how to be a better lawyer than to
open the door to real experiences by real people with their attorneys.

When members of the public complain about lawyers, it affects all of
us, whether we caused the unhappiness or not.  We can, like the
associate I’ve mentioned, become annoyed or defensive.  Or like GAL, we can try to learn
from what’s been said and improve ourselves.  Which makes more sense to
you?

Note – if anyone knows which article I’m referring to, please send me the link.