There’s at least one partner, sometimes many, in every law firm who has a reputation that sends associates scurrying for cover. Demanding. Exacting. Difficult. When their name pops up on caller ID, it invokes a moment of terror and forces a quick decision, fraught with risk: “Should I answer or send to voicemail?”

However, reputation does not always equal reality. There’s a big difference between having high expectations, on the one hand, and being rude, condescending, and unfair on the other.