Mind Your Manners (Please)

September 3, 2024

Reading time: 3 minutes

It has probably been awhile since anyone asked you to mind your Ps and Qs, but take this as your sign to be mindful of your manners and exercise professional courtesy as you go about your work day. While you will not find any rules of etiquette á la Emily Post in the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, your job as an attorney offers numerous opportunities to be polite and courteous as the profession demands. A day in the life of lawyer means you may interact with colleagues, both friendly and adverse, your office staff, judges, and court personnel. Consider this your gentle reminder to use your manners with each of these groups you may encounter as follows:

One of the most successful rainmaking attorneys I ever worked with was known to remind the attorneys in our office that you should never have to tell someone you’re a lawyer when you walk into a room. They should know by the way you carry yourself and interact with others. Keep this in mind as go about your daily business. And, as Justice Clarence Thomas once said, “Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.”


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Information provided by AttPro Ally is not intended as legal advice. This publication provides best practices for use in connection with general circumstances and ordinarily does not address specific situations. Specific situations should be discussed with legal counsel licensed in the appropriate jurisdiction. By publishing practice and risk prevention tips, Attorney Protective neither implies nor provides any guarantee that claims can be prevented by the use of the suggested practices. Though the contents of AttPro Ally have been carefully researched, Attorney Protective makes no warranty as to its accuracy, applicability, or timeliness. Anyone wishing to reproduce any part of the AttPro Ally content must request permission from Attorney Protective by calling 877-728-8776 or sending an email to [email protected].

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