Submitted by Dakota Halford, a Rule 19-220 student attorney in the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
I am very grateful for being a part of the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. My experience with the Clinic has taught me many things, but one of the most important things it taught me was that being a lawyer is more than explaining the law to your client.
The first day of clinic I thought tax would be a very simple and unemotional. I thought I would just be telling clients their tax liabilities and the steps they can take. My initial thought turned out to be very wrong for me. There is more that goes into tax than just telling clients about their liabilities.
For a lot of people, whether low-income or not, owing a lot of money in tax liabilities can be a very scary and intimidating thing to go through. This reality really hit me when I had to tell a client that they owe a large amount of money in tax liabilities. I was very nervous to tell my client because I did not want to be the person to turn their good day into a bad day or be the one to deliver bad news to the client.
After long discussions with my team and supervising attorney I realized the importance in discussing this with my client and client centered lawyering. It is in the client’s best interest to know all the information regarding their case. It is also important to take this information and give the client options on how they can move forward. The client needs to be the one making the decision in their case not me. Giving the client all the facts and options allows them to make a decision that is informed and best for them.
Knowing the importance of discussing difficult things with my clients did not always make my nerves go away. What helped me the most was using empathy. Understanding what the client may go through when hearing news like this and empathizing with them when delivering the news takes away a lot of nerves. When the client sees we care about them and want what is best for them it may also help the client trust us more and open up to us.
Client centered lawyering involves the client, it allows them to participate and make decisions in their case, it lets them set forth their goals and work towards achieving their goals. Lawyers are there to provide clients with the law, information, and overall help the client achieve their goals. After all it is the client’s life not the lawyers.
Learning about and using client centered lawyering has helped me improve my communication and client lawyer relationship with my clients. Client centered lawyering is now one of the first things I consider when I have a client.
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