Rule 1.1 Competence

Lawyers have to know what they're doing before they take on a case. This means they need to understand the law involved, have the right skills, and put in enough time and preparation to handle the matter properly.

If a lawyer isn't skilled enough to handle a particular case on their own, they can't just wing it. They need to team up with another lawyer who does have the right experience, or they shouldn't take the case at all.

Once a lawyer agrees to represent someone, they can't drag their feet or ignore ways to help reach the client's goals if those methods are legal and allowed under the rules. They also can't do anything that hurts or damages their own client's case, unless the rules specifically say they're allowed to (or required to) act that way in a certain situation.