Lawyers interact with each other every day. It is a natural consequence of those interactions that in some instances lawyers develop close relationships with their colleagues. In and of itself that is not a problem. But in some instances, how close the relationship is can create problems, either potential or real.

When I was a young attorney, I remember explaining to a client that opposing counsel and I were close friends in law school but that we had not seen each other since graduation. I emphasized that our relationship would have no impact on the case. She would do her job and I would do mine. The client said he understood.