Coffee Talk – Solo/Small Firm Issue

Coffee Talk is a feature of the Contra Costa Lawyer magazine. We ask a short question related to an upcoming theme and responses are then published in the Contra Costa Lawyer
magazine.

For this issue, Guest Editor Mika Domingo asks:
Red Flags: What do you look for when interviewing potential new clients?

A potential client who cannot describe why the opposing party is opposed to them, other than that their opponent is evil by nature or simply crazy, is a major red flag. If they can’t even tell me (in simple terms) what story the opposing party wants to tell the judge or jury about the case, then they likely have a very poor understanding of the facts of their own case, will probably leave out key details, and will need to be fact-checked constantly.
– Christopher Baudino

Does the potential client have or has had an attorney in the same case?
What is the level of anger, if any, displayed by the PC? (Some anger or disappointment is to be expected
but in my experience, the angrier the PC the more likely that the PC will be difficult to work with.)
– Lubna K. Jahangiri, Esq.

How many lawyers has this potential client already had on their case?
I will not be #4, and probably not #3 either. Especially if they’ve got their checkbook out, already pre-filled with my name, antsy for me to tell them the dollar amount.
– Gary Vadim Dubrovsky

I do not practice criminal law. If someone asks me whether something they are about to say is protected by attorney-client privilege more than twice, that’s a major red flag.
-Anonymous