HOW DO CLIENT SELECT
A LAWYER?
In my thirty years of active,
general practice of law, I have tried
to analyze the motives which induce
clients to go to one lawyer rather
than to another, and I have made
it my invariable custom to try to
trace the source of, and causes for,
new business coming into my office.
Besides, I have frequently talked
with laymen and with members of
other professions on this interest
ing subject. In the hope that what
I am writing will interest and be
helpful to my brethren in the law,
and especially to the younger mem
bers of the Bar, I am sending this
to the Docket.
There is no use saying anything
about professional work produced
by the pressure of social, political,
financial, or lodge connections; we
all understand that. The question
is: What is it that produces work
for the lawyer, where there is a
fair field and no favors?
I give it as my unqualified opin
ion that new business does not orig
inate in extraordinary training, ex
perience, skill, good looks, eloquence
power, fame, or the ability “to put
it over,” except in certain classes
of criminal cases.
I firmly believe that in ninety-nine
cases out of a hundred, clients and
litigants try their very best to seek
out and place their business in the
hands of “an honest lawyer.” Over
and over again, I have heard liti
gants say that they went to such
a lawyer because they knew he was
an honest man and would not eat
up the whole thing in fees- Often
I have heard people says that they
employed such and such a lawyer
because they knew he would not
“sell them out.”
Personally, I have never known of
a lawyer “selling out” his client. I
have never heard an inquirer ask
first about the skill or influence of
a certain lawyer; always the first
thing mentioned is whether or not
the lawyer in mind is “honest.” Of
course, this does not apply to shady
cases, when litigants think it is
necessary to have some lawyer who
can put it over.
If I am stating the general rule
truthfully, is there not here a valu
able lesson for the younger lawyers
in particular? Might they not well
throw to the winds theories of self
exploitation by indirect advertising,
not depend on business, social, or
other connections, but plant them
selves firmly on absolutely honest
dealings with clients and everybody
else? Nothing can stem the final
success of such an honest lawyer,
who has reasonable skill and has
made proper preparation.
Naturally, clients object to being
gouged, to having a lawyer charge
all the traffic will stand, or to the
turning of an important estate or
lawsuit into a granary, out of which
the lawyer’s whole family may feed
for years and years to come. Lin
coln came to his title of “Honest
Abe” on account of his scrupulous
honesty with his clients and with
other lawyers.
Frequently, when a legal matter
is closed, there is wrangling between
the client and his lawyer. In nine
cases out of ten, the lawyer is only
asking what his services were hon
estly worth, considering the import
ance of the matter, time put in, and
favorable result obtained.
One trouble seems to be that it
is so hard for a lawyer in advance
to tell his client frankly what the
charges are likely to be per diem
in office and in court, how much
for a favorable decision, how much
for making the collection, how much
for the compensation allowed by
statute in estates, foreclosures, and
other matters. What percentage is
the lawyer to have on contingent
matters? If these things are clearly
understood by clients in advance,
there is seldom a bit of trouble as
to the fee. I think the suspicion
which prevails is generally due to
lack of understanding and occa
sional gouging.
Pope said: “An honest man Is
the noblest work of God.” Shake
speare said: “There is no legacy so
rich as honesty.” And Cervantes,
ignoring the moral principal at stake
savs: “Honestv is the best policy.”
WILLIAM B. BROWN,
Los Angeles, Calif.
“SOUAWS”
“I came down from Skagwav on
the Estabeth and on the same boat
was a squaw with a kid coming to
serve on the grand jury. What is
our country coming to.”—Heard in
Juneau
We wondered who this could be,
and we were afraid, too, that this
“foolish” woman would disgrace her
people and give the ‘enemy’ another
handle to whip us with, so we watch
ed.
We learned afterwards that even
after careful examination by the
District Attorney, this woman came
through with credit to herself and
to the United States. Sne had been
to the schools, talked very good
English, and was a real believer in
“law and order.”
There were two Indians on the
last petit jury here in Ketchikan.
They served on several of the hard
est cases, passing the hostile exam
ination of attorneys for both sides.
After one murder case was fin
ished, the district attorney asked a
white juror, “What do you think of
-(the Indian) as a juror?” The
man answered, “If you had more
jurors like those Indians, you would
not lose so many of your booze
cases.”
FAIRBANKS COLLEGE
In a report to the Board of
Trustees of Fairbanks College Pres
ident Bunnell said. “The third year
of the College has progressed in so
satisfactory a manner that I am
pleased to say to the Board of Trus
tees that the service it is render
ing and a vision of its possibilities
amply reward one for the additional
•work that the organization of such
a project makes necessary
The total enrollment thus far for
the year is 94. With the beginning
of the second semester short courses
will be organized in agriculture, home
economics and mining. The indica
tions are that the total enrollment
for the year will be over 100.
The balance on hand is $11,100.42.
The balance available for appara
tus and supplies 1924-25 from the
P'ederal Endowment Funds is $8,
133.59; funds for 1925-27 $100,000,
total $108,133.59. Salaries, profes
sors, 1925-27 $82,000.00, balance
available for apparatus $26,133.59.
Payable Prom Territorial Pounds
In the budget for the ensuing bi
ennial year Mr. Bunnell will ask the
Territory to appropriate money to
cover the following items:
Buildings, West wing. $ 35,000.00
Dormitories . 25,000.00
Power plant and equip
ment . 18,000.00
Repairs and alterations... 2,000.00
Agricultural project . 20,500.00
Total
$100,500.00
General expense, salaries,
maintenance, insurance,
etc . 48,880.00
1925- 26 total . $149,380.00
1926- 27 total . $ 45,980.00
Grand total . $195,360.00
In summing up Mr. Bunnell says:
“In submitting the foregoing items
I do so with due consideration of
the fact that the resources of the
Territory are limited and that econ
omy in all branches of territorial
activities must be strictly observed.
In my opinion the foregoing is the
least amount that will enable the
College to continue its work con
sistently and efficiently and meet
the new demands that are being
made upon it.” All that we can say
at this time is that $200,000.00 for
a College at Fairbanks is a lot of
money, for a Territory situated as
we are, to spend. When the first
appropriations were made for the
College at Fairbanks the Legisla
ture was told that it would only be
called upon to make the first ap
propriation, amounting to something
like $50,000.00,# and that the United
States Government would pay the
rest year after year. Last year the
Fairbank’s delegation asked for
$145,000.00, and got $90,000.00. This
year Mr. Bunnell says that $195,
000 00 is the very least that he can
get along with.