Law school never teaches you how to deal with anger, whether your own or the client’s. Here are five insights to help you do just that.
Insight No. 1: Presume positive intent. Several years ago, I was at the offices of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with a client’s human resources director. I was in a conference room with our witness and the investigator; the HR director waited in the lobby with another witness. Coming out to get the second witness, I told her it had gone well, whereupon she started to let out a war whoop of victory. Placing my finger to my lips, I suggested moderation. On the train back to the office, I could tell she was steamed like a dumpling.
