A Day in the Life of a Litigation Attorney

As with any attorney, my number one priority is to attempt to obtain the best possible outcome for my clients given a set of facts, and I have to constantly remind both myself and my clients that I do not make up the facts and I do not write the law.

In the past couple months, I was faced with a situation in which my client was adamant on certain facts pertaining to their case. I cannot recall how many times I had asked the client if their recollection was correct, and we entered mediation with a theory of liability that hinged greatly upon these certain facts.

However, during the middle of the mediation, and for the first time over the course of three years, my client informed me that these “facts” were not true. The mediator was in the room with us and saw my reaction. I was shocked. My internal dialogue was not something I would have shared with my client, but this is where practicing some healthy recovery principles helped me turn my attention to what I could control.

Getting frustrated with my client wasn’t going to help solve the issue, and what was in my control was to recommend an offer based on the facts presented. I was able to pause and assess the situation for what it was, and the situation was one that necessitated immediate resolution. Taking five minutes to collect myself and take a step back made all the difference, and it ended up saving my client both time and money. I did not berate my client, nor did I get hung up on how this made my job extremely difficult. All I did was focus on how we needed to proceed.

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