Most lawyers agree that negotiating a dispute at the earliest appropriate time is generally in a client’s best interest. According to John Lande, of the University of Missouri School of Law and author of the article “Good Pretrial Lawyering: Planning to Get to Yes Sooner, Cheaper, Better,” of 32 respected Midwest lawyers surveyed, most supported this idea. There are, however, a number of obstacles that may prevent lawyers from negotiating disputes as early as they should. One important obstacle …