I have always had the belief there is at least one thing everyone that I meet can teach me. While I certainly cannot remember everything taught during college and law school, there are certain key notes that I still to this day recall from certain professors. One of the wisest comments from a professor in college occurred when he tried to have us understand that not everything could neatly fit into one area, specialty or category. His comment was “categories were created for students for learning, but we lived in a very blended world.” The advent of lawyer advertising started in the early ‘80’s created the idea of specialties because categories were necessary for advertising and marketing purposes.
We specialize in our clients. They invest in us so we invest our time in their issues.
Of peculiar note, most Bar Associations have no designated specialties or board certifications for attorneys such as those that exist in the medical industry. These are quite frequently self-proclaimed specialties. They do have a proper place and purpose where a lawyer only wants to bring in certain types of clients which unfortunately results quite frequently in turning files which we commonly refer to in the profession as “paper mills.” Think of a circumstance that if you had a broken bone and needed immediate medical help. You are not going to sit on the phone and try to find an orthopedic specialist that can see you in maybe two or three weeks as you will make an immediate trip to the Emergency Room. The same will be true if you had an illness as a prudent individual would contact his personal physician for proper guidance. These physicians will, in turn, have a network of experts that can rely on and guide the patient in the right direction when and if such is necessary. If you build your relationship with your attorney now, you build a life-long relationship and then you become a member of that attorney’s own network of knowledge, ability and outside experts when necessary.
Stephen Fuller is the managing partner of Fuller Sloan LLC and has practiced in business litigation and consulting for 37 years and has over 25 years representation of the founder of one of the largest sit-down casual restaurants in America. For more information, send Mr. Fuller an email.