The Legal Profession Needs Some Bullying Prevention and Intervention Strategies
"The distinction between bullying behavior and proper advocacy in the courthouse hinges on respect, professionalism and adherence to ethical standards," write Elisa Reiter and Daniel Pollack.
July 31, 2024 at 10:00 AM
6 minute read
Professional CultureA young lawyer with a hard-to-pronounce name is bullied by an older opposing counsel. First, the older opposing counsel sends repeated communications in which he misspells the young associate's name. Second, when first meeting in person, the older attorney observes that the young associate wears a weighty ring on her right hand. When shaking hands, he uses a significant amount of pressure so that the young woman experiences pain when her middle finger and pinkie are crushed against her ring finger. What to do? The young associate seeks counsel from the gray-haired partner at the end of the hall and from family. The gray-haired partner suggests that she address the opposing counsel as only "Billy Bob" in future communications. A family friend suggests a jiu jitsu move that allows the young woman to transfer the pressure intended for her own hand back on the opposing counsel when they next meet and exchange handshakes. She does both. The opposing counsel stops misspelling and mispronouncing her name, and he now shakes her hand respectfully.
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