Law Firm Engagement Letters in the News...

“A Clearly Drafted Engagement Letter Can Limit the Scope of Attorney's Duties” – according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, as reported by Hinshaw & Culbertson: "the firm’s clearly drafted engagement letter successfully provided a defense to the client’s allegations that the firm did not provide adequate legal representation."

A bit more colorful analysis is provided by legal news rag Above the Law, which offers specific advice:

• “Retainer Agreement, engagement letter, whatever you want to call them. Have one. Just don’t make it a bunch of much-too-long, written “understandings” of too many things that the client isn’t absorbing at the initial consultation. These documents are not tools to attempt to impress the client with your ability to expand on: “You are going to pay me this, and I am going to do this, and I’m not paying for this, and if anything else comes up, we’ll talk about a separate retainer/fee/cost, and I’m not guaranteeing anything or giving you money back, and we have no other agreements, so sign here.”