Super Lawyers - Michigan 2011

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR
YOUNG LAWYERS? AS TOLD TO BETSY GRACA

Develop and cultivate the
personal relationships with
colleagues and clients.

Particularly in this age of electronic communications, I think that young lawyers need to resist the temptation in their professional lives to rely too heavily on email, texts [or] Facebook as a primary method of communication. I think that while these are certainly valuable tools in today’s workplace, they should not replace the face-to-face or even telephone contact that is essential to keeping up these relationships.

SUSAN HARTMUS HISER / PARTNER,
VERCRUYSSE MURRAY & CALZONE, BINGHAM
FARMS, EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION
Always remember your role.
Our purpose is to represent
clients in achieving their goals.

So I think that’s a very, very key thing. Many attorneys have egos, many attorneys [say], “This is the way you’re gonna do it.” Well, the answer is, clients don’t always want to go to court. Even though you have to start the suit, they want it settled. Sometimes they want a result that’s different than [what] you think is right. Represent your client and accomplish the goals that they establish.

… Provide value [and] show your worth. In
showing your worth to a client, become their
trusted adviser.
MICHAEL W. MADDIN / PARTNER, MADDIN,
HAUSER, WARTELL, ROTH & HELLER,
SOUTHFIELD, REAL ESTATE
Make an attempt to really
understand your client’s
business from an early stage.

The more you understand and appreciate your client’s business and all the internal pressures that they’re under, the better lawyer you can be for them and the better service provider you can be.

[Also] understand and appreciate that a law firm is a business. It’s really important to focus on honing your legal skills in an early stage, but also to really understand how a law firm works and what it takes for a law firm to succeed as a business. I think the earlier you understand that, the more successful you can be.

ANESSA OWEN KRAMER / PARTNER,
HONIGMAN MILLER SCHWARTZ AND
COHN, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY

Young attorneys need to learn about sales.
Every day is a sales call. The clients, the judge, the other side—you’re always selling
something.

I think one of the most important things a new lawyer can do is network within your area of expertise or within the immediate community. Because if people don’t know who you are, you’ll never get any work. I worked for a firm and then went into solo practice and it was my contacts in the world that made all the difference in whether I got work or not.