Getting to Know the Client

When we are hired to represent someone accused of a crime -- indeed, before we are hired -- the first thing we do is get to know the client and understand him, building a relationship so that we can communicate effectively. There are many obstacles to clear communication between any two people, and if the two people don't overcome the obstacles, they can't communicate. If a lawyer and his client can't communicate, the defense is in trouble. The story that matters in a criminal case is the client's. The most important part of communication is listening; if the lawyer doesn't listen actively to his client, he can neither understand the client's story nor effectively communicate legal advice to him. If the lawyer doesn't listen actively and intently to his client -- not just to the words, but to the feelings underlying them -- the client' might as well be talking to himself.