Substitute Attorneys.

Drafting rules for substitute attorneys is a fantastic idea.

I recently represented a pro bono client in county court concerning an insurance subrogation case. The plaintiff was represented by a firm, but it was difficult to determine which attorney at the firm was responsible for the case. My client had a copy of a cancelled check evidencing prior payment. No one from plaintiff's firm would respond to my phone calls or emails. Accordingly, I attended the court ordered pretrial conference with my client and cleared my calendar for the rest of the afternoon with the expectation that we would be sent to mediate the case directly after the pretrial conference. No one from plaintiff's firm appeared at the pretrial conference, instead, a young associate from another local firm popped up out of the crowd and said, "I am covering this hearing for the plaintiff." The young associate did not have authority to settle the case, so the court continued the mediation conference to a future date.

After the pretrial conference, I asked the young attorney to speak...