How Leading Lawyers Think: Expert Insights Into Judgment and Advocacy

294 Pages·2011·1.17 MB·English

by  Randall Kiser (auth.)

How Leading Lawyers Think
.
Randall Kiser
How Leading Lawyers Think
Expert Insights Into Judgment and Advocacy
RandallKiser
DecisionSet1
550HamiltonAvenue,Suite100
PaloAlto,CA94301
USA
[email protected]
This book does not contain legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute for legal
advice. The ideas and strategies contained in this book may not be suitable for a reader’s
circumstances, and readers should consult with a professional and conduct independent
researchbeforetakinganyspecificaction.Theinterviewcommentsquoted,summarizedor
paraphrasedinthisbookareopinions,notstatementsoffactorlegaladvice,andshouldnot
beconstruedtobetheopinionsofotherattorneyswhoparticipatedinthisstudyorthelaw
firmsorcompaniesinwhichanattorneycurrentlypracticesorhaspracticed.
ISBN978-3-642-20483-8 e-ISBN978-3-642-20484-5
DOI10.1007/978-3-642-20484-5
SpringerHeidelbergDordrechtLondonNewYork
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2011935044
# Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2011
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.Allrightsarereserved,whetherthewholeorpartofthematerialis
concerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation,broadcasting,
reproductiononmicrofilmorinanyotherway,andstorageindatabanks.Duplicationofthispublication
orpartsthereofispermittedonlyundertheprovisionsoftheGermanCopyrightLawofSeptember9,
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areliabletoprosecutionundertheGermanCopyrightLaw.
Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,etc.inthispublicationdoesnotimply,
evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevantprotective
lawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
Printedonacid-freepaper
SpringerispartofSpringerScience+BusinessMedia(www.springer.com)
Acknowledgments
Seventy-eight exceptional attorneys made this book possible. They generously
contributed their time and insights to improve the quality of case evaluation and
decision making for other attorneys and their clients. In interviews ranging from
30 minutes to 2½ hours, they patiently imparted the wisdom they had acquired
during their combined 2,275 years of legal practice. Throughout the interviews I
wasawarethat,foreveryhourspentonarrangingourinterviewandrespondingto
interviewquestions,theattorneywouldneedtoworkonclientmattersanhourlater
thateveningorweek.Althoughtheybearnoresponsibilityformyimperfectefforts
todistillandconveytheirknowledge,theseattorneysaretheforceandinspiration
underpinningthisbook.Iexpressadeepsenseofgratitudetothem.
In writing this book, I have benefitted greatly from the opinions of many
mediators, judges, consultants and attorneys. In particular, I thank Paul Gordon
of Rethink LLP and Jonas Jacobson of Trial Behavior Consulting for their com-
mentsonportionsofthisbook.Ialsohavebeenfortunatetocontinueworkingwith
Blake McShane and Samantha Cassetta. I thank Blake for analyzing the datasets
and producing the samples used to identify the attorney interview candidates and
Samanthaforreviewingandsuggestingchangestopreviousversionsofthisbook.
The book also has been enhanced by discussions with Judge Allen Hurkin-Torres
(Ret.),whoseexperienceinsettlingmorethan15,000casesprovidedaninvaluable
perspectiveoncaseevaluationandsettlementnegotiations.
The bridge between a researcher and the reader is the publisher. For this book
andmypreviousbook,BeyondRightandWrong:ThePowerofEffectiveDecision
MakingforAttorneysandClients,Springer-Verlaganditsoutstandingeditorialand
productiondepartmentshaveservedasthatbridge.IamindebtedtoAnkeSeyfried,
myeditoratSpringer,forherprecision,thoroughness,efficiencyandforesight.
For the encouragement that enabled me to plan this project, conduct the study
interviewsandwritethisbook,Ithankmywife,Denise.
v
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Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................... 1
1.1 ProfileoftheStudyAttorneys ......................................... 1
1.2 SelectionoftheStudyAttorneys ...................................... 3
1.3 AttorneyResponsestoInterviewRequests ............................ 4
1.4 InterviewProtocolsandTopics ........................................ 5
1.5 PurposeandOrganizationofThisBook .............................. 6
PartI RolesandResponsibilities
2 Attorneys ................................................................. 11
2.1 Responsibility,ReliabilityandCommitment ......................... 11
2.2 EmpathyandDetachment ............................................ 14
2.3 EmotionalSelf-Regulation ........................................... 15
2.4 IntrinsicMotivation ................................................... 16
2.5 PersonalValues ....................................................... 19
3 Juries ...................................................................... 21
3.1 OverallAssessmentofJurors’Decisions ............................. 22
3.2 ShortcomingsinJurorDeliberations ................................. 23
3.3 JuryStereotypesandCaricatures ..................................... 25
3.4 TrustingtheProcess .................................................. 25
4 Clients ..................................................................... 29
4.1 EthicalObligations ................................................... 29
4.2 ClientCounselingModels ............................................ 30
4.2.1 “ForcefulEducator”Model .................................... 31
4.2.2 “BenevolentAuthoritarian”Model ............................ 32
4.2.3 “DispassionateAdvisor”Model ............................... 32
4.2.4 Client’sDecisiontoSettleorTry ............................. 33
vii
viii Contents
4.3 Authority,ControlandPower ........................................ 34
4.3.1 ActualDecisionMakers ....................................... 35
4.3.2 PlaintiffandDefendantDecision-MakingAuthority ......... 35
4.3.3 InsurerEffect .................................................. 36
4.4 ClientControlProblems .............................................. 36
PartII FrameworksandConnections
5 Frameworks .............................................................. 41
5.1 BackwardMapping ................................................... 42
5.2 GlobalOutlook ....................................................... 44
5.3 Themes ................................................................ 46
5.4 VisualThinking ....................................................... 48
5.5 Perspective ............................................................ 52
5.6 ExplicitandTacitKnowledge ........................................ 55
5.7 PeripheralVision ..................................................... 56
6 Connectedness ............................................................ 61
6.1 SenseofConnectedness .............................................. 62
6.1.1 SocialandEconomicContext ................................. 62
6.1.2 PersonalBackgroundandExperience ......................... 63
6.2 SourcesofConnectedness ............................................ 64
6.2.1 Colleagues ..................................................... 65
6.2.2 Non-attorneys .................................................. 67
6.2.3 FocusGroups .................................................. 68
6.2.4 Research ....................................................... 69
6.2.5 Reading ........................................................ 71
PartIII FeelingsandTraits
7 EmotionalIntelligence ................................................... 75
7.1 LawandtheEmotions ................................................ 75
7.2 EmotionalIntelligence ................................................ 78
7.2.1 LegalandEmotionalIssues ................................... 78
7.2.2 EmotionsandJudgment ....................................... 79
7.2.3 EmotionsandClients .......................................... 80
7.2.4 JurorsandClaimsRepresentatives ............................ 82
7.2.5 Self-Awareness ................................................ 83
8 PerpetualLearning ...................................................... 87
8.1 DevelopedTalentsandInnateAbilities .............................. 88
8.2 Open-Mindedness ..................................................... 90
8.3 Humility,ModestyandCaution ...................................... 90
Contents ix
8.4 ImprovementThroughEffortandSelf-Evaluation ................... 92
8.5 SolicitingFeedbackandCriticism .................................... 94
9 SurvivorPersonalityTraits ............................................. 97
9.1 Realism ............................................................... 98
9.2 Flexibility,AdaptabilityandResiliency ............................ 100
9.3 Creativity,Inquisitiveness,andToleranceforAmbiguity ......... 103
9.4 Independence ....................................................... 107
9.5 Intuition ............................................................. 108
PartIV TechniquesandStrategies
10 CaseEvaluation ......................................................... 113
10.1 Meaning,ScopeandPurposeofCaseEvaluation ................ 113
10.2 TheEmergingImportanceofCaseEvaluation ................... 116
10.3 AttorneysandClientsasCaseEvaluators ........................ 117
11 EvaluationFactors ...................................................... 125
11.1 OverallEvaluation ............................................... 126
11.2 SettlementorTrialTrack ........................................ 129
11.3 ClientObjectives ................................................. 130
11.4 ApplicableLaw .................................................. 132
11.5 CaseType ........................................................ 133
11.6 ClientAppearance ............................................... 135
11.7 ClientCredibility ................................................. 137
11.8 ClientLikeabilityandSympathy ................................ 138
11.9 DepositionandTrialTestimony ................................. 139
11.10 Damages .......................................................... 140
11.10.1 AssessingDamages ..................................... 140
11.10.2 ChangesinSettlementsandAwards .................... 141
11.10.3 AncillaryDamages ...................................... 141
11.10.4 FutureMedicalExpensesandTimingofDemand ..... 143
11.10.5 StatutoryLimitationsonDamagesAwards ............. 143
11.11 ExpertWitnesses ................................................. 145
11.12 Venue ............................................................. 145
11.13 AttorneySkillandTrialExperience ............................. 147
11.14 EvolutionofCaseEvaluators .................................... 148
12 ClientInterviewingandCounseling ................................... 151
12.1 InitialClientInterview ............................................ 151
12.1.1 AvailableRemedies ....................................... 152
12.1.2 ClientExpectations ........................................ 152
12.1.3 ClientPreconceptions ..................................... 153
12.1.4 Underestimation ........................................... 155