Integrity

"There is a vague popular belief that lawyers are necessarily dishonest...Let no young man choosing the law for a calling for a moment yield to the popular belief -- resolve to be honest at all events; and if in your own judgment you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer." 
A. Lincoln, circa 1850 


We strive to practice law with integrity.  Integrity means a person practices with honest conviction.  It means a person acts in conformity with their true beliefs (e.g. about the facts or the law), their identity, and with genuine purpose.  Why is integrity so important in the practice of law?  This trait is not just a nice word that has little real world meaning.  Integrity changes how we interact with our clients, our colleagues, the courts, and our adversaries. 

Unfortunately, lawyers seem to often overlook the importance and power of practicing with integrity.  Perhaps acting in conformity with popular notions about attorneys, some of my colleagues appear to believe that taking whatever position is most convenient at the time is the best strategy.  Time and time again, I've witnessed this approach fail. 

For example, when an adversary fails to accurately set out legal authority or the facts of a case in a motion or brief to a judge, I always gain an advantage.   By honestly portraying the legal authority, a judge is much more likely to accept my argument about why my client should prevail.  Quickly, judges learn which attorneys in the community are thorough and honest.  There is no doubt that practicing with integrity reaps dividends for every client.  

It also makes the practice of law more rewarding for us.  We want to win your case because we believe in you, not just because we want to prevail.  We work harder and fight more zealously for our clients because we believe in their cause.  Success is measured not simply by dollars and cents, but by whether we made a real difference for you and told your story honestly, as you experienced it.  ​

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