When I started practicing law in 1970, my father-in-law, an enormously effective and successful litigator with a leading New England “white shoe” firm, gave me a short lecture on the duty that I would owe to future clients. Since he was the smartest and scariest man I had (and have) ever known, I listened very carefully. First and foremost, he explained, a lawyer owes his client the unvarnished truth. I was admonished to always tell the client the strengths and weaknesses of the case and spell out the pros and cons of taking any particular course of action. The client […]