Wednesday, April 20, 2005
~ learning to ask questions is good for business and can raise the status of your law practice ~
The adage, "there's no such thing as a stupid question" may run counter to the culture of the legal world where one is supposed to be all knowing. This stance may obstruct the attorney's ability to elicit and respond to the clients' needs and to let them know you've heard their concerns. This issue and how to effectively conquer your resistance to question asking is explored by an attorney and marketer.
Attorney Carolyn Elefant offers an obvious piece of advise that we all overlook. Don't wait until the last minute to ask your question or to get reassurance on a strategy. I'm struck by how frequently attorneys will wait until the eve of a deadline to ask me to find a witness, conduct an interview or to gather a potentially critical piece of information. I gave useful timeline examples in an earlier post. It doesn't cost anything to call early in a case to get suggestions on an investigative strategy. Your trustworthy colleagues will be flattered to be approached by you on a question of law or procedure.
Attorney Carolyn Elefant offers an obvious piece of advise that we all overlook. Don't wait until the last minute to ask your question or to get reassurance on a strategy. I'm struck by how frequently attorneys will wait until the eve of a deadline to ask me to find a witness, conduct an interview or to gather a potentially critical piece of information. I gave useful timeline examples in an earlier post. It doesn't cost anything to call early in a case to get suggestions on an investigative strategy. Your trustworthy colleagues will be flattered to be approached by you on a question of law or procedure.
