What is the difference between a good attorney and a great attorney?

An old lawyer joke: What’s the difference between a good attorney and a great attorney?

A great attorney is a friend of the judge.

I won’t say to which case, or cases, I’m referring, but I recently saw the result of one court hearing that certainly seemed to lend credence to this old lawyer joke. The plaintiff’s attorney and the state District Court Judge go way back; approximately 20 years. Does that make a difference the way in which a case plays out in the courtroom? I guess it depends on the judge and his or her degree of integrity; but I know one thing, if I had to pick attorneys, I’d want the one who was old friends with the judge.

In this particular case to which I just referred, sure enough, the judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff his old friend was representing; even though from a layman’s point of view, the ruling made little sense.

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