Check Your Ego

Appellate attorneys have a dual role - they must advocate for their clients AND educate the Court of Appeal about how the law permits the Court to provide justice for our aggreved clients.  To effecticvely fulfill both roles, there is simply no room for egos.  While reviewing the North Dakota Court web site, I discovered some great reminders about checking that ego --

Appellate Advocates Should Remember to:

• "Seek to persuade, not to show how much you know"
• "Be a resource to the Court to help it understand the law and the facts"
• "Not every lawyer excess is justified by the mantra of zealous representation."