Our 16th Year – The Path to Yes
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I have written here with awe at longevity, having supported veteran trial attorneys who long surpassed the “10,000 hours” made famous in Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers.
https://www.suanningle.com/an-appreciation-for-longevity/ Those reflections have always come from an observer’s point of view, not from a person whose own work demonstrates longevity too, until lately. Earlier this year, I had the occasion to work with two different trial lawyers with whom I hadn’t worked since 2001 and 2007.
In both instances, I was compelled to reflect upon what has changed and what has remained the same in the work, not to mention asking myself “could I replicate whatever qualities they remembered that prompted them to call me?” After all, a lot of time has passed since we worked together.
That timeframe has seen a proliferation of smartphones, social media, near-universal internet access, massive growth in AI, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, global crises and increased urbanization among others. These are significant developments that all combine to leave no industry or line of work unchanged, especially the work that happens in our legal system, a system not known for accommodating change. Perhaps the worst aspect of how this all affects trial consulting, is that nothing is ever complete. We are all so busy accommodating simultaneous activity, because we think we can, but often to our detriment. To be clear, our clients are constantly trying to accomplish more with less time. AI is learning as I type. Clients are making requests that leave no time for the reflection and process that would traditionally improve upon an initial draft. While one attorney was standing at the podium presenting recently, her team was working on the visuals she was using to support her points. It can be done, but should it be done?
It was with a unique satisfaction recently, that I composed a list of differentiating factors that seemed to write themselves, in correspondence with a potential client that included:
We are proud of our encomiums page www.suanningle.com/encomiums in showing both
longevity and consistency in the words of past clients;
Lastly, we commit to a high degree of caring about you,
your team and your client and will be vested in your success.
That high degree of caring, words first relayed to me by a client, have remained the same for us despite a firehose of changing demands we all confront.
That’s an aspect of our longevity I hope never changes.
#happytrails #happytrials #happynewyear #dontgototrialwithoutus #podiumperfect
