Navigation Be a Clear Lawyer
Jim Vickaryous: ‘The Florida Bar emphasizes professionalism and civility, and both values depend on clarity. A lawyer who is unclear in drafting discovery responses burdens the court and opposing counsel. A lawyer who is unclear in advising a client risks ethical violation when the client makes decisions without full understanding . . . . If a lawyer cannot be understood, the lawyer cannot be trusted.’
My favorite Italian restaurant is conveniently a short walk from my law office. It has a common name. So common that just a few miles away there’s another Italian restaurant with the same name. I have on many occasions asked a friend to meet me for lunch at my favorite Italian place. Every now and then, after sitting alone for a while, I will text my lunch date to make sure they’re okay, only to find out they have been waiting for me at a table at the other restaurant. I now make sure to be clear to meet for lunch at the Italian place next to my office, not the other one with the same name. The failure to be clear certainly will not make you go hungry, but it can cause some momentary loneliness.
Being clear is a gift that requires effort. We have all listened to someone talk for a long time, wondering what they meant. Some have a gift for saying much and confusing all. Shakespeare knew a thing or two about clarity, having Polonius in “Hamlet” say, “Brevity is the soul of wit,” and a minor character in “Henry V” proclaim, “Men of few words are the best men.”
