Hiring Right
Hiring the right attorney for you can be a challenge in itself. In Cornelius Benton’s interview with attorney Micah Huggins, we discussed some of the most important things and common problems to take into consideration when going through the hiring process. Today, we are going to summarize their interview and provide some insight into things to think about when hiring the right attorney.
According to Huggins, lack of trust is one of the most common problems people have with hiring the right attorney. Many people have reservations when putting their trust in people. You’re giving someone control over your life, or at least an aspect of it, and there will probably be slight apprehension in allowing someone that level of trust. Being able to believe that they have your best interest at heart and will take care of your case and show you compassion breaks that barrier and allows for a better attorney/client relationship.
Another barrier often faced is financial. Huggins often hears, “Hey, I want to hire you. What will your fees be for such a case,” and in the instances where the case is severe, there’s the possibility that they can’t afford the services. He wishes he could do more pro bono work, but that’s not the case at the moment. Altogether, Huggins says that trust and finances are two of the most significant issues he sees people face when hiring attorneys.
Each attorney brings something different to the table. Most successful ones are confident in who they are and what they can offer. In Huggins’ case, he strives for excellence and gives 100% every single day in all he does. He is a believer and a mad of faith, and incorporates his faith into his practice. Merging the principles of Christianity with his work means showing compassion, patience, love, and forgiveness. Also, as a young African-American male, he is able to bring a different perspective to his cases. He often represents other African-American males, some in criminal defense cases, and can better understand why they may have made the decisions they did. Because he has walked in their shoes as a fellow African-American, he knows what it’s like to be profiled, discriminated against, and he knows what kinds of feelings those incidents can conjure up. His faith helps lead him through not only his daily life but also each case he works.
Alongside his faith and the values that presents, Huggins puts a huge focus on integrity. “No matter what your faith is, I think integrity is going to be the game-changer,” he says. When an attorney is open and honest with their clients, they are most successful. He believes integrity is the key for firms to either succeed or fail.
He also doesn’t put a measurement on success. He takes it day by day, gives his all, and keeps his integrity. He believes success can be subjective and dependent upon the person. To him, being able to sleep at night with a clean conscience and knowing he did his best for his clients is the actual measurement of success. He avoids making choices that could cause backlash later. In Benton’s words, he leaves it all on the court.
While watching an interview with LeBron James, he heard one of the most relevant statements to his life and career. As the basketball player was going up against Golden State for the third time and was against the odds with people believing he would lose, an interviewer asked him how he felt about the fact he was going lose against the Warriors again. His response? “No pressure at all. As long as I go out there and give it 100%, I can live with myself win or lose. If I’ve given 100%, I’m okay.” Those profound words sum up Micah Huggins’ mindset and integrity.
