Page 11 - Phoenix Vol 10 No 9

Work hard, detach from outcome, and accept the consequence.”
hroughout the births, deaths, divorces, health challeng- es, nancial good times and bad, the single constant in my life has been the practice of law. I am 69 years old, and have been practicing continuously since 1976. I started as a prosecutor in Tucson, became an associate at one of the biggest rms in Phoenix (not bragging— I was eventually red) then a name partner in several small rms in Scottsdale. Today, I am a solo practitio- ner with a tiny o ce in Sedona. I take what comes in the door and sometimes get paid in tamales or twelve packs.
e law is challenging. I am still nervous every day that what I do not know will hurt somebody. e dead- lines still loom as they have for 42 years, and my stom- ach still churns working to make the required lings, or to ask the right questions at depositions, or to make the most persuasive arguments in court. I hope to God whatever I do will help, not hurt, my client. Despite the stressors, I will not stop practicing so long as I can think. Partly this is because there is enormous need for lawyers to help real people. Single moms, the addicted, those devastated by a shi ing economy are at sea with- out drinking water. e entire catalog of human misery is played out in our legal system, and there are very few lawyers willing to represent those who need help and cannot pay hundreds of dollars per hour.
But, mostly I cannot leave the law because serving clients makes me happy. And a better, more compas- sionate human. e practice of law is a service business and if you do it right you end up being the one served. I am enriched by helping others, doubly enriched if I help bring about a good outcome. Over the years, rep- resenting clients has caused a major shi for me--- a new way of experiencing life. Service to others contin- ues to overturn the sel shness that rules so much of my life.
I serve best not only when advocating my client’s le- gal interest, but also when counseling against the im- possible, the unethical, the unfair. Even in righteous cases, there is an inherent paradox in litigation. We must manage expectations simultaneously using every permissible tool to achieve the client’s goals.
Service to me means sharing the burden of what
my clients fear most so that the pressure is on me, not them. e juice is in the intellectual challenge of cal- culating how to achieve the best result, in the shortest time, as inexpensively as possible. All without getting sidetracked or personally annoyed by opposing coun- sel, delay, unrealistic expectations.
Litigation, which is what I do most, is a zero-sum game. ere is a winner and a loser. Even ADR out- comes are this way despite all the enthusiasm for it. So, in order to be e ective serving others, we trial lawyers must protect our hearts and humanity while serving. We need real tools to help us shrug o the inherent rough grind of the adversary system and leave it behind when we get home.
e Buddhist principle of detachment from outcome is helpful. e idea is to ght like hell--do everything the system allows--then let it go. Work hard, detach from outcome, and accept the consequence. I am not saying ignore or accept incorrect rulings or results. I am talking about a way of living, not a legal strategy. Detachment and acceptance have kept me sane. I can’t help with the deeper, more fundamental social prob- lems like poverty and ignorance that o en play signi - cant roles in legal trouble.
Lawyers are privileged. We are members of a ped- estal profession, usually insulated from the insults en- dured by others in the workforce. If I focus on being that guy who is privileged to speak for another, rather than whether my bill will be paid, or where my next case is coming from, my reward is the kind of quiet inner joy that comes from doing the right thing. Like helping a kid ride a bike, returning a lost wallet packed with 50’s or speaking my truth despite my beloved col- leagues thinking me a fool. Feels just like winning a big verdict.
BIO:
Richard L. Strohm is most proud of his son Christian and daughter Brooke who live in the San Francisco Bay area. He has been an Av rated attorney for over 25 years and enjoys the highest rating from AVVO. In addition to practicing law, he spends a month almost every year overseas. He teaches a non- credit course in Yavapai County entitled “An Insider’s Guide to Understanding Our Legal System.” He is an amateur triathlete having competed in Miami, Hawaii and Malibu triathlons. Find his CV at www.strohmlaw.com.
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