“What do you call a lawyer at the bottom of a lake…?”

Whether you’re inside or outside counsel, clients from around the globe have their distinct opinions about lawyers. Personal experiences shape their views, which range from intense loathing to savior—with a large constituency landing somewhere closer to the castor oil end of the spectrum. Many moons ago, these one-star ratings were more-or-less tolerated, but in today’s cutthroat legal profession, a sub-par client experience simply won’t fly. Competition is stiff and the days of lifelong client loyalty are loooong gone. So the margin for error is razor-thin … which means the quality with which a lawyer services his/her clients will greatly impact a career.