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Approved Quote by Charlie Munger

“The lawyers have escaped most criticism [and undeservedly so]. The tax shelters [were approved by lawyers, who got paid huge commissions to do so] and every miscreant had a high-falutin' lawyer at his side. Why don't more law firms vote with their feet and not take clients who have signs on them…” quote by Charlie Munger
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“The lawyers have escaped most criticism [and undeservedly so]. The tax shelters [were approved by lawyers, who got paid huge commissions to do so] and every miscreant had a high-falutin' lawyer at his side. Why don't more law firms vote with their feet and not take clients who have signs on them that say, "I'm a skunk and will be hard to handle?" I've noticed that firms that avoid trouble over long periods of time have an institutional process that tunes bad clients out. Boy, if I were running a law firm, I'd want a system like that because a lot of firms have a lot of bad clients.”

Charlie Munger

About This Quote

Law firms should avoid representing clearly harmful clients, using institutional filters to protect reputation.

In simple terms: Law firms need to reject bad clients.

Key Takeaway

Implement client screening processes.

Themes

ethics law business reputation

Mood

critical thought‑provoking

Type

ethical business

When to use this quote

  • law firm management
  • risk assessment
  • client intake

Key Concepts

client vetting institutional safeguards professional responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

  • What criteria would you use to reject a client?
  • How can firms balance profit and ethics?
A Different Perspective

May limit revenue from high‑paying but risky clients.

3.2 out of 5 (6 ratings)

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