WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE
YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? AS TOLD TO LAUREN PECK
Your reputation is
everything.
Judges, clients, colleagues and opposing
counsel should all be able to rely on
your reputation for hard work, zealous
representation, integrity and ethical
practice. This means that if you promise
something, deliver it. If you agree to
something, stand by your word. If you make
an error, own up to it and fix it immediately.
All attorneys win some cases and lose
others, but the great attorneys ensure that
their clients get the best representation
without sacrificing the important values
that make for an excellent reputation.
SARA SANCHEZ / SHAREHOLDER/DIRECTOR,
STELZNER, WINTER, WARBURTON, FLORES,
SANCHEZ & DAWES; ALBUQUERQUE; CRIMINAL
DEFENSE
Foster productive
and trusting client
relationships.
A mentor taught me that, despite the
amount of billable time a particular project
or pleading took, once complete, I should put
myself in the client’s position and ask myself
whether the incurred billable time was fair.
With that additional perspective, I make the
appropriate adjustment of time, and I identify
that adjustment in the client’s invoice. With
this practice, I have found that clients are
more willing to pay their bills, confide in me
and rely on my counsel as we work toward a
resolution of their legal issues.
ADAM DECKER / CO-FOUNDER, FINTER
DECKER; MESA; REAL ESTATE
Protect your
reputation, rise
above the fray and
always keep your
integrity intact.
I have been fortunate enough to have
skilled and talented mentors to guide me
not only in developing my practice and
skills as an attorney, but who have also
taught me the value of my reputation and
integrity in the legal community and the
community at large. While it is one thing
to zealously advocate for your client, it is
another to uphold your professional and
personal integrity. This will better serve
your client, the bar and the legal system
as a whole. It is a sterling reputation that
builds respect, relationships and a solid and
illustrious practice.
JANET LINTON / ASSOCIATE, UDALL LAW FIRM;
TUCSON; GENERAL LITIGATION