Civility And Respect In The Legal Profession; Are We Lamenting Its Erosion For The Wrong Reasons?
Excerpt from “The Trial Lawyer” magazine
Article by Michael D. Finn
“The party who sues my client is not only, not my enemy, they are:
1) seeking legal justice within the established system; and 2) contributing to my economic well being. (And therefore is my friend!)”
As our occupational world continues it ebb and flow, many of us “old-timer” practitioners are often heard lamenting what we perceive as the continuing erosion of respectful civil conduct between lawyers. We are horrified when we feel our fellow brothers and sisters at the Bar are acting a bit like their clients, often disparaging their opposing legal counterparts by exhibiting rudeness or other offensive behavior, not returning phone calls in a timely manner, failing to extend normal courtesies such as short duration discovery extensions, conflict adjustments, etc.