I can still remember the sage advice that my Civil Procedure professor offered in my first law school class: “Get the fee first,” he said, as his class of students listened attentively. We were shocked. After all, we went to law school to help people and to assure that every member of society would have access to justice. But his words struck a chord in many students, who recognized the underlying message that law is a business as much as it is a profession.
By the time we graduated, we had learned that those attorneys who were not joining corporations, large firms, the government or other similar entities would have to deal with making sure that they were paid. Another aspect of this message was referral fees. Professors, classmates and especially the law firms where we would work all hammered home the message that referral fees were a great way to supplement our income. In fact, many lawyers can tell you which case paid for their daughter’s wedding and which one paid for the sports car in the driveway.
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