by Traffic Attorney
Often times when you are a young solo (less than 5 years of practice) older solos do one of two things: 1. take you in and show you the ropes or 2. intimidate and bully you.
If the older solo is on the opposing side, more than likely its #2 that you will be experiencing. This bullying effects the outcome of your case, your stress level, and sometimes your confidence. Let me give you an example.
I was recently working on a domestic case where my client was the Plaintiff and was suing her child's father for custody and support. Nearly, four months into the case the Defendant hired Attorney X who has been practicing longer than I have been alive. Attorney X then proceed to delay further court proceedings by continuing dates. In addition, Attorney X didnt provide me discovery in a timely fashion as I had done on his requests. I mistakenly trusted Attorney X to place the case on the trial calendar and then learned that the kept on the administrative calendar in order to delay further. Attorney X did untimely served his subpoenas for his witnesses only two days before trial. At the hearing the Judge awarded joint custody to the parties and provided a date for the order to be entered. Opposing counsel submitted a draft of the order and I in return submitted some changes to the order to opposing counsel nearly thirty days before the entry of the order date. Opposing counsel was at his home in Costa Rica on the entry date so I had the order entered and signed by the judge. Attorney X was furious because he said I hadn't consulted with him to make sure the order should have been entered. Attorney X had plenty of opportunity to review the revised order and did not. He saw me in court on another matter, and yelled at me in front of other attorneys and a Judge and demanded I had the order vacated. Initially i agreed, but then i stood my ground and refused. The Judge that entered the order agreed with me. The moral of the story is that your job as an Attorney is to represent your client and their interests and not to serve the interests and the ego of some old fart Attorney who is used to bullying others to get their way.
Keep on pushing Solo you are coming into your own and soon your woes will turn into positives.!
Often times when you are a young solo (less than 5 years of practice) older solos do one of two things: 1. take you in and show you the ropes or 2. intimidate and bully you.
If the older solo is on the opposing side, more than likely its #2 that you will be experiencing. This bullying effects the outcome of your case, your stress level, and sometimes your confidence. Let me give you an example.
I was recently working on a domestic case where my client was the Plaintiff and was suing her child's father for custody and support. Nearly, four months into the case the Defendant hired Attorney X who has been practicing longer than I have been alive. Attorney X then proceed to delay further court proceedings by continuing dates. In addition, Attorney X didnt provide me discovery in a timely fashion as I had done on his requests. I mistakenly trusted Attorney X to place the case on the trial calendar and then learned that the kept on the administrative calendar in order to delay further. Attorney X did untimely served his subpoenas for his witnesses only two days before trial. At the hearing the Judge awarded joint custody to the parties and provided a date for the order to be entered. Opposing counsel submitted a draft of the order and I in return submitted some changes to the order to opposing counsel nearly thirty days before the entry of the order date. Opposing counsel was at his home in Costa Rica on the entry date so I had the order entered and signed by the judge. Attorney X was furious because he said I hadn't consulted with him to make sure the order should have been entered. Attorney X had plenty of opportunity to review the revised order and did not. He saw me in court on another matter, and yelled at me in front of other attorneys and a Judge and demanded I had the order vacated. Initially i agreed, but then i stood my ground and refused. The Judge that entered the order agreed with me. The moral of the story is that your job as an Attorney is to represent your client and their interests and not to serve the interests and the ego of some old fart Attorney who is used to bullying others to get their way.
Keep on pushing Solo you are coming into your own and soon your woes will turn into positives.!
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