By Edward J. Southcott
As I write this, San Diego is in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are under a stay-at-home order, where many attorneys are working from home or are unable to work at all, and the courts are all but completely closed. I am hopeful that by the time you are reading this, we will be on the other side of this global health and economic crisis.
Having never faced such a sustained lack of access to the courts in our lifetimes, we are all learning together how to do our jobs in this new uncharted environment. When it comes down to it, each of us represents a client. Depending on the type of law you practice, your client may be an individual facing the loss of their liberty, a business trying to protect its rights or financial well-being, or the public at large. No matter the type of client, each needs reassurance from their attorney during this crisis. While many of us face personal health concerns and financial uncertainty, we must also remember our duty to our clients. During this difficult and confusing time, it is more important than ever that we be not just an attorney, but truly a counselor at law. I learned from my mentors that my purpose is not solely to provide legal advice to my clients, but to some extent, lighten their burden by bearing some, or all, of that burden on their behalf. Our clients need our reassurance and understanding, especially as we try to explain a legal situation that we cannot fully understand or predict ourselves.
While you struggle to care for your families and yourselves during this crisis, do not forget about your clients. Keep in mind they are still facing the now exacerbated crisis that brought them to your office in the first place. I hope that a future article titled “What to Do When the Courts Are Closed” will be about family vacations and beach visits, but unfortunately we are not there today. I am confident, however, that the San Diego legal community will come together with the usual cooperative spirit and preserve justice for our clients.
Edward J. Southcott represents law enforcement officers as an associate attorney at Bobbitt Pinckard & Fields, APC.