FROMTHEEXPERTS
FROMTHEEXPERTS
HUMILITY AS AN ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A SUCCESSFUL TRIAL ATTORNEY
By Stephen A . Hnat with Ven Johnson , Esq .
If you work in the legal field long enough you ’ ve seen the mighty crash and burn . It happens often enough that we have all heard the stories and know the attorney . They were once the rising stars among trial lawyers , spectacularly successful professionally and financially , who lost their ticket , were convicted of a crime or lost in a downward spiral into divorce , substance abuse or worse . We are shocked when it finally happens , but not really surprised . How is it that if we survey the field of famous trial lawyers , we see it littered with talented individuals who self-destructed at the heights of their success ? Is there some emotional gravity that pulls down the legal Icarus if they reach too high , too fast ?
I was once in a group discussion led by the great trial lawyer , Gerry Spence . The group consisted mostly of very accomplished trial attorneys from all around the country and a couple of consultants . He asked us to write down the most important characteristic of a successful trial attorney . The answers ran the expected gamut of virtues — persistence , courage , curiosity , etc . To my embarrassment , he held up my note and said “ humility — I think maybe the psychologist got it right .” The longer I work with trial lawyers the more I am convinced that the answer was correct , even though it seems to run contrary to typical bravado . Humility is a quality that enables an attorney to understand the damage done to a client and then communicate that suffering to juries authentically and persuasively . It is a quality that is essential to keeping the attorney connected to clients and juries and , most importantly . to themselves .
16 x The Trial Lawyer