entitlement right away in how the attorneys act , not necessarily how they dress . For example , juries look at how the attorney treats their support staff during trials . How do you treat your staff when not in trial ? Do you demand a cup of coffee from your paralegal instead of asking if you can bring them one ? Do you expect them to clean up after you or do menial tasks your parents expected you to do for yourself ? Can you identify the value of a suit easier than the stress of your staff ? Is your comfort more important than the demands you put on others to meet your needs ? Entitlement is a very bad sign .
Exclusion is another bad sign . Do you find yourself socializing only with other attorneys , and only the successful ones at that ? Do you need to get invited to the exclusive society of “ most successful ” trial lawyers ’ coven ? Do you expect recognition at trial lawyer meetings ? It is good to enjoy your success and seek the wisdom of other attorneys , but not to the exclusion of ordinary people and life experiences . Being socialized as an attorney is how you begin to forget how to think and act like jurors . A successful lawyer is just as comfortable talking to a homeless person as a celebrity . Very successful lawyers actually prefer to interact and learn from the “ countless confused , misused , strung out ones and worse ”. Wanting to seek them out , wanting to listen to them and seeking to understand the human being is an act of humility that rewards personally and professionally .
Condescension is another sign of the lack of humility . It is an attitude of power rooted in insecurity that causes one to mock and deride another . Feeling special by deriding others is symptomatic of issues beyond just the lack of humility , but it is certainly another sign that the end may be near . Humility does not mock another ; it identifies with those being mocked .
Humility is not inconsistent with self-confidence , and it will not cause you to undervalue your damages . In fact , humility will more likely compel you to ask for more money for the damages and to be more persuasive when you do . We advocate introspection as an essential tool for all trial lawyers , and certainly selfexamining the health of your ego can prevent you from becoming another casualty of success . Humility can be nurtured . Practicing humility is a gentler way of developing humility than suffering humiliation . Enjoy your success without losing your roots and perspective . The ornaments of success should be just that — and not how you define yourself .
18 x The Trial Lawyer