“Pick the right clients.”

That’s what they said repeatedly at seminars I went to as a young lawyer.

And they annoyed the crap out of me.

“Pick the right clients,” my ass, I thought.

I need clients to pick me. And I don’t really care if they are the “right clients.” I just need CLIENTS.

I hate, hate, hate being wrong.

Now I realize that they were right.

And I SERIOUSLY HATE that fact.

But they were really, really right.

Picking the right clients is a very important part of winning this game.

The wrong clients will drive you crazy, damage your reputation, cost you money, and wreak havoc in your life.

The experts have all sorts of advice for avoiding the wrong client:

* Don’t be the second (or third, fourth, or fifth) lawyer.

* Don’t take on a client with unrealistic expectations.

* Avoid the “money is no object” client.

* Don’t take the client who has already upset your staff.

* Don’t take the substance abuser or the mentally ill client.

The list goes on and on. You’ll develop your own list over time, and you’ll get better and better at spotting these people.

Looking back on it, taking the wrong clients has probably led to some of my biggest problems.

They were so right.

How can you pick the right clients? Bottom line: go with your gut. You’ll have a feeling about the client sitting across from you. Trust it.

When I look back on the clients who have caused the most trouble, I always knew it was coming.

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I was seduced by the need to have the client hire. I needed the money and loved the approval. But deep down, I knew I was making a mistake.

I ended up regretting those decisions.

I only wished I had listened to my gut and to those smart lawyers who said, “Pick the right clients.”