Do Office Run-Ins Spark Ideas? Should Lawyers Care?
There is an old expression among lawyers that goes something like he who represents himself has a fool for a client. The gist of the axiom is that individuals may not have the expertise or perspective necessary to adequately represent themselves, so it is prudent to seek independent counsel to handle a matter. Despite the common understanding that interests are better served by independent counsel, some lawyers decide to represent themselves in legal matters, even in situations with which a lawyer may not have much experience. For a variety of reasons, lawyers should usually still hire other lawyers to handle their legal work in a number of situations.