Anything good, done by law departments to excess, withers

“Everything in moderation” echoes Greek philosophy but for law departments, even mothers’ milk curdles if overdone. Consider several assuredly good things that turn bad if overdone.

Law departments want excellent client satisfaction ratings, but if they rise too high something is amiss. If lawyers never rein in clients, what good are they?

Timely calls by clients for legal counsel mean they recognize legal issues and want help, unless they are too hair-trigger and lawyers waste time prematurely (See my post of March 22, 2011: measuring the timeliness of client calls.).

Meetings with clients keep lawyers in the know and contributing, yet too often many hours sitting in conference rooms waste time (See my post of March 10, 2011: “am I needed further”.).

When clients want their in-house lawyer to pitch in it is good, unless the task doesn’t require a lawyer’s training or expense (See my post of April 9, 2008: quasi-legal tasks with 14 references.).

Recognition of legal risks stands out as a contribution; paralysis through risk aversion and endless analysis turns bad (See my post of Aug. 24, 2008: lawyers and risk averse behavior with 11 references.).

Nothing original in this post – too much of a good thing is bad – but the proverbial wisdom holds for law departments.