Our job as lawyers is to solve our clients’ problems. Every day, in many different cases, we have issues to sort through and resolve–some big, some small. In reality all lawyers are called on to solve their clients’ problems, but some solve problems better than others.
The key to solving a client’s problem is caring about their problem to begin with. Ever try to solve a problem you did not care about? It’s nearly impossible to come up with a good solution when you could care less about the outcome. But when we put ourselves into a client’s shoes and care about their problem as if it were our own, problem solving becomes more meaningful and necessary.
Being a problem solver does not mean getting a client everything he wants or deserves. When it comes to legal problems, our ability to reach a solution is impeded by the opposing parties and attorney(s) in the case. So a good, or even a great, resolution rarely means getting all you want and deserve. But it does and should mean getting as much as you can while being reasonable about your options and choices.
This is where creativity comes in, the art we truly embrace. Getting as much as you can, or reaching your desired result, often takes creativity. Creativity in the solutions we propose to the opposing side, creativity in how we fight the opposing attorney to reach a resolution, and creativity in looking at the available options. Nothing is set in stone, every problem and every case is new and unique, which provides us with a new opportunity to be creative and find a good solution.