There once was an old country lawyer who, although quite unassuming to look upon, was regarded as the shrewdest advocate in the county and a man with a wide reputation for winning cases. A simple farm boy had come to him seeking information. It happened that the boy was about as "simple" as the foxes that took his chickens but always managed to escape.
"Sir," the boy began, "will you teach me how I, too, may always win a legal dispute?"
The old lawyer studied him carefully, then replied,
"Yes, I will tell you my secret, but only on the condition that you pay me twenty dollars in gold for my advice."
"It's a deal," replied the boy. "I've been saving my money for years hoping for this opportunity."
"The secret," explained the lawyer, "is to deny everything. Deny, deny, deny, and you will never lose. That is all."
"Thank you," replied the boy graciously as he stood to leave.
"Wait," snapped the lawyer. "You promised me twenty dollars in gold for my secret."
"Sir," came the quick and icy reply, "I deny any such promise ..."
---------------A Final Thought ...
"He kind of lawyer you hope the other fellow has."
- Raymond Chandler (1888–1959), U.S. author: "The Long Goodbye."