Pick a position you don’t personally hold — then build the strongest honest case for it. A good advocate makes the other side’s best argument, not its weakest. Choose the moves you’d actually use:
Everyone charged deserves a defense — that’s the system working, and none of this asks you to do anything unethical. The question is personal. For each client who walks in the door: take it, or pass?
You choose early, and the choice costs you something either way. Set what you value, then see which path fits — and what it takes from you.
People read two things in the first ten seconds: warmth (can I trust you) and competence (are you good). Move the dials — both matter, and most people lean too hard on one.
respected, not liked
trusted AND liked
liked, not trusted
QUICK WIT · THE CURVEBALL
Opposing counsel snaps: “Your client is obviously lying.” You have a breath. Pick:
Two duck factions, one fight: how long do you dip the bread? The Crisp Dippers want 1.5 seconds (“crisp is king”); the Soggy Submersionists want 3.0 (“soak it or croak it”). First find the zone both sides would accept — then do your actual job: get the best deal you can for your client without breaking it.
An AI drafted your brief and handed you five case citations. You cannot file until you’ve checked every one. Some are real. Some the machine invented and stated with total confidence. Mark each before you file: