Bench & Bar January/February 2026

FEATURE: SENIOR LAWYER ADVICE

Advice TO THE YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION FROM THE “OLD FOLKS PRACTICE GROUP” BY “OLD GUYS” RICK ROBINSON AND JOHN C. "JACK" GREINER

I f you attend any gathering of seasoned (read: older) lawyers, you are likely to hear stories about how, early in their career, someone their senior influenced their career. The influence could come from a colleague, a judge or a client, with some of the best advice coming from a lawyer that beat them in court. We are no exception and, before we are too old to remember the influential advice received early in our career, we thought we should write it down.

FLAKES, RAKES AND SNAKES

The other takeaway was the admonition by a senior partner about what types of people the firm did not want as clients – flakes, rakes and snakes. Most lawyers with a hint of grey hair have run into all three types of clients. At the time, believing the key to our success was signing up new clients, we all wanted to be rainmakers. Now, we are the old guys giving the lecture. It is important to remem ber that a lawyer does not have to represent everyone. The choice of representation is a mutual understanding between the lawyer and the client. Unless you feel it, walk away.

Just about every time you do, the client you refuse to represent will turn out to be either a flake, rake or snake. THE FLAKE Initially, the flake seems like any other ordinary client. Flakes are very good at disguising themselves as normal, but – as the lawyer-client relationship progresses – they become inconsistent in their needs. One day they love the advice you give them. The next day, you have ruined their lives. With a flake, you go from being the greatest lawyer since Clarence Darrow to pond scum overnight.

When we entered the law practice, it was a tradition at our firm for the new associ ates to spend a day completing orientation. The day-long marathon covered everything from the firm’s history to billing practices. At the end of the day, there were two solid takeaways. First and foremost, was the fact that we had just blown a day of billing which needed to be made up for our annual minimum hourly billing requirement.

10 january/february 2026