Civility

I was at a legal seminar last week. We spent a great deal of time talking about substantive legal topics. We also talk about ethics. We have a duty to advocate but also to be professional. As a family lawyer, we often affect our clients lives by how we advise them on matters outside of the legal process. When we treat their attorney or opposing counsel badly, we set the tone. Of course, since they are hurting and often hate the other person, they want us to fight for them... specifically, in their place. They want us to do what they wish they had the power to do. Unfortunately, we often have to fight they way they should fight. And often they need to simply stop the fight. As the speaker said, bad behavior is contagious. All around us, we see a loss of civility. All around us people fight for themselves and not each other. The speaker noted that good behavior could be contagious too. I hope so. And I hope that I can bring that into my everyday process.