Jim Vickaryous

There are no stupid questions. At least that is what my U.S. Army training officers used to tell me. As lawyers, we cannot be afraid of asking basic questions that may make us look bad as we seek the truth. Curiosity may have killed the cat, so to speak, but lack of curiosity can be fatal for a lawyer. Be curious about everything and ask lots of questions, especially stupid ones. It is often the stupid questions that illicit the best answers. Curiosity is the linchpin of professional growth and the first step in the pursuit of justice.

We’ve all experienced that ignominious moment when our client, under oath, reveals a fact for the first time, catching us off guard. It’s easy to blame the client or witness for this key fact being disclosed for the first time on the stand. But it is really a lack of curiosity of the lawyer. Had the lawyer listened to the private discussions of the client, and then drilled down on the facts, that key fact would have been addressed in a much better way. Be curious. Is what I am being told include all the facts? Ask stupid and simple questions and you will learn quite a bit more than what is being told to you.

Click Here To Read The Full Article