The lawyer who has a lawyer for a client

Familiarize yourself with local rules. Look them up and/or seek advice from local counsel, and don’t make local counsel continually remind you of basic requirements. You chose to take a case in this jurisdiction, so be accountable.

Provide documents for filing in the correct format. Don’t make local counsel’s staff scurry around at the last minute reformatting all your documents. Ask for a template, and then use it. Make sure others who work on the case use it, too.

Know whom to contact in local counsel’s office, and make others on your team aware, too. Few things are more nerve-wracking than when lead counsel’s office e-mails a last-minute filing to someone who is on vacation without even bothering to copy the other eight people who know about the case, and who are not on vacation.

Be aware of what time the courthouse closes and how much lead time is needed to effect a filing. Along the same lines, be mindful of any time difference that affects the cutoff time. Four o’clock in Los Angeles is not the same as four o’clock in New York.

Provide advance notice of planned filings. One day would be nice, so local counsel can ensure there will be someone available to handle the filing and fix any formatting issues caused by your not using the correct template. If you must send a last-minute filing, don’t rely solely on e-mail or voice mail as your means of notifying local counsel. Call and speak with a human, please.

Don’t rely on local counsel to maintain your file. If you can’t find a document you need, then — before you call local counsel and angrily allege that you weren’t copied on said document — consider the possibility that you lost it, and that, if you ask nicely for another copy, you might just avoid making yourself look like an ass.

Take responsibility for your relationship with your client. Make sure your client receives the information and documents he wants. Don’t put that responsibility off on local counsel. Your client didn’t hire us — although he probably should have — and it isn’t our job to placate him.