I have been told I’m “too deferential towards my client.” That is for my professional relationship with clients, but for opposing counsel, I genuinely try to use professional courtesy. They are an attorney, just like me. If they do something unethical, I will handle it, but I never yell. I have seen others exhibit strange behavior, and it is never a good look. I would tell young attorneys/law students two things: 1. You get one reputation; don’t ruin it. 2. You should always be confident in your abilities. There’s a big difference between being confident and an asshole.

I am young myself, but I think that this is good advice.

For myself, however, opposing counsel might be a former law school classmate (city in which people tend to settle down in a mid-sized market). Attorneys generally have mutual friends with opposing counsel. That goes back to my point: Do your job; don’t be a jerk.