Joan Vennocchi of the Boston Globe writes an interesting piece in the Suffolk Law School Alumni Magazine (Winter/Spring 2007) about her years in night school at Suffolk Law. She explains with journalistic clarity her insight into how lawyers learn. She talks about arguments in class, study groups, and discussions. Her observations of the lawyer in training balancing perspectives and the depth of analysis reminds me that clients may not be aware of how lawyers are trained and how they assess a case.

It is helpful when retaining a lawyer to understand that legal solutions are milled by the mind over time with discussion, research and interaction with the facts you may have shared.

When you talk to a lawyer, they may ask questions that seem unusual to you. It may very well be that part of the analysis they are undertaking in getting to the core of your issue takes them down a circuitous route. In fact, you will wonder if they heard anything that you said. At least initially they are searching for the key elements of your situation and applying the law to them as best they can before they consult the legal research that will get them up to speed on your topic.

So a reminder information on a blog such as this can never pass as legal advice - even tips – unless you have retained the lawyer to represent your interests and shared all the details fo your matter. Anything short of that will not serve you well.