A recent caller to our office told us that she has a tough situation and felt that any old attorney wouldn’t do. She told us:
“I want a bulldog Chicago lawyer.”
That’s something we hear a lot. Sometimes it’s a “pitbull,” but whatever it is, they mean they want a take no prisoners, aggressive attorney.
I get that line of thinking. When your attorney is wishy washy or doesn’t do what they say they are going to do, it can be really frustrating. If they don’t fight for you, it could doom your case.
The reality is that a lawyer is either good or they are not. They either fight for you or they don’t. Asking them to be a bulldog does convey what you want, but it can also have unintended consequences.
Some unethical attorneys in Illinois will use your desire for a “bulldog” to justify a much larger bill than you should get. In other words, they might add b.s. charges and say it’s because they are fighting so hard for you.
Other times attorneys will play into this stereotype to convince you to hire them, but it’s just an act and it’s not who they really are. Basically they are lying about how they will handle the case if hired just to get you to sign.
And other times it’s just bravado, but doesn’t actually impact the case in any way.
A good lawyer does the work. That doesn’t mean yelling or screaming or puffing their chest out. It means presenting your best case and doing what they can to increase your chances of a great case result. Doing the work is being a bulldog. Being on top of everything is too.
Now maybe if there’s an actual trial they will be a little more showy for the jury or confrontational to a tough witness or one that is opposing you. But the real work takes place before then. You can act all tough, but if you don’t know the case facts, present the right witnesses or file the right motions then it’s all for nothing.
I’ve seen lawyers use bulldogs in their marketing materials. It’s cute but really meaningless.
All that said, we know what you really mean when you say bulldog and we can help you get the type of lawyer who will be in your corner. If you want a recommendation, call us any time at 312-346-5320.
