SBAND PRESIDENT
ATTITUDE PLAYS AN
IMPORTANT ROLE
IN SUCCESS AS A LAWYER
ZACK PELHAM
SBAND President
Attitude. We all have one. It often varies
from situation-to-situation and day-to-day,
or maybe even more frequently. So much of
what we do as lawyers is dependent on our
attitude. Our “tude” can take us far one day
but leave us marooned the next. The best
lawyers strive for an even-tempered attitude
when working to reach solutions. Yes, easier
said than done in many circumstances.
While it may feel good to “lose it” for
a moment, it downgrades important
attributes attorneys need, most notably,
credibility.
I have pessimistic tendencies, which
impact my attitude. But, I am a reformed
pessimist. I have to consciously work to
overcome my initial negative reaction
before realizing the potential upsides to
the situation. I have found, upon reflection
of a bad circumstance, it is almost never as
bad as originally perceived. There is typically
a solution available (or at least a possible
solution). Practicing law makes it easy to
be a pessimist, because we lawyers typically
deal in negative and difficult circumstances
and are programed to think of worst-case
scenarios. But we do our clients a disservice
if we focus too much on the negative.
It is a mistake to ignore the silver lining
when working on daily matters for our
clients. Often, it is the silver lining that saves
the day. Attempting to solve problems with
other problems almost always results in the
creation of more problems. While I’m not
necessarily advocating for you to become
Pollyanna in every scenario, neither should
you be Eeyore.
So, what does it take to solve our problems
and, at the same time, preserve our sanity
working for clients who are looking to us
for help? You guessed it, a key component
is our attitude. To evoke confidence does
not require one to proclaim victory is
assured. What folly we’d bring by such a
statement. The appropriate attitude is to
lace the struggles every case brings with a
silver lining. It may be a struggle to find
that silver lining, but failing to search for
it is a disservice to our clients. Giving
your unfettered and well-researched legal
interpretation of the law, as applied to
the facts, is what we do daily. This can
be delivered to clients differently and
usually depends on the client and the
circumstances. I am not suggesting we “sugar
coat.” Bad facts can be positive if delivered
appropriately. Our attitude presenting
bad circumstances to a client can be done
respectfully, calmly, and with a side of
compassion. Such has a greater likelihood
of the client respecting you as their attorney
and following your advice.
At the end of the day, we lawyers go home
to our loved ones and try to put aside the
battles of the day. Our attitude carries over. If
we have a purely pessimistic attitude during
our working hours, this attitude will consume
all our hours. Placing the silver lining buffer
on matters at work can allow for that same
buffer to apply outside of work. Perfect
harmony? No. But it is a tool that perhaps
you can use.
Call for CLE Speakers
SBAND and the North Dakota CLE Commission sponsor
seminars and programs throughout the year in all sorts of
formats, including live, webinars, and IVNs.
We want to know about SBAND members who have ideas
for topics or who are interested in being a presenter.
Contact Carrie Molander at [email protected].
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THE GAVEL