Daniel J. Rothman
The fact that a text, from so long ago still carries so much weight, not only in its intended area of warfare but also in business and law as well as many other areas, is a testament to the awareness of human nature and wisdom of Sun Tzu. There is a ’best way’ to go when facing a decision on the way forward in numerous areas of human endeavor. The purpose of this book is to give you the tools that you need to look for the ’best way’ in any legal case you find yourself in charge of. There will be times when you must make calculations months or years in advance and times when you have to make split-second decisions during a trial itself. To be ready to make those decisions requires a complete understanding of the case but also of the variables of a complex system that moves the case along and then places the final result in the hands of twelve strangers. Lawyers are often described as ’practicing’ attorneys once they obtain their license. A lawyer, once licensed, is able to completely exercise the powers of their position as an officer of the court, but they are never done with their training. Babe Ruth still took batting practice late in his career, Patrick Mahomes still reviews game footage of past wins and losses. The best of the best never stop trying to get even better. You must continuously strive to improve your abilities over what will often be a decades long career. You will face opponents in the future who right now are doing something to make themselves better lawyers. Reading and re-reading a book like this will better prepare you to take on the awesome responsibility of accepting cases that can have a life altering impact on your clients. It must be a constant endeavor to analyze the factors presented here. Miyamoto Musashi said, 'mastering swordsmanship takes one thousand days to learn and ten thousand days to refine.' Coincidentally, law school takes approximately one thousand days, including the BAR exam, yet the process of refining your skills to their utmost is ongoing from the first day of your legal career to the last.
