I'm dealing with an arrogant, pompous prick from a worthless, wealthy family as opposing counsel and it shows. The magistrate has told him to settle. He said basically that if we paid him everything then that'd be fine. The magistrate was furious, because that is not what settling means and now the court knows why no settlement has happened: him.... The first rule of law is to never, ever piss off the judge. He did.... He's lost his motion for summary judgment and if he's not careful, the trial. I've really tried to be nice, finally I just pulled him aside:
"Look, [new kid's name] You're right, this case isn't so big. Your firm is giving you this to see how you handle yourself before they let you bite off some larger ones and really get into it. That means if you screw this up... well. I'll let you imagine what that means. Now, I've already pointed out SOME... some... of the holes in your case. I've been trying to be nice this entire time. I've been trying to give you an easy way out so you don't lose the entire thing at trial, which you will, just like you lost the MSJ. Take the easy way out of this, settle while you can still get it.... Or I'll take everything from you at trial."
Apparently I'm, "an unprofessional asshole" for doing him this favor. Partially, I'm going for the cheaper settlement, but he really will lose this and won't know it until it smacks him in the head. His firm will not be pleased about this, because he should know better. It is more expensive for everyone involved to bring this case to trial, than to settle and the magistrate has told him to settle/trial doesn't look good for him, but he won't settle.... So he'll rack up billable hours the client isn't going to want to pay/sour relations with them, because of his ego/overdone sense of his own worth/rightness.
Yet another problem with "law as a business." It used to be a profession, and it still is, but it's just infested with people who think it is a business. Wasteful, annoying crap like this is the end result. He's going to run up more time with this case than it would be worth (charging by the hour) for him to win it, if he even could win it. He can't. Quit wasting everyone's time dude, those dirty looks the magistrate is giving you in chambers.... Yeah....
[head ...desk]