Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wednesday 4.13 p.m.



Today has been busy-busy. Spent hours researching on trust relationships for our stockbroker-client; drafted four letters; went with Mr. Peter to pick two bag loads of Notice of Appeal from the printer and tried to pick Ghandi's brain on maritime law. At about 4 o’clock, my legs don’t hurt as badly as last week and I was about to congratulate myself on getting through the day when I was ‘summoned’ to Plain-short’s office.
“A client will be coming in soon. I thought you should be in the consulting session. Try to be in as many as you can.”
She added something about the practical feel and some more on her days as a young lawyer.
Plain-Short is very smart and I think she likes to be a kind of mother-figure but I am so tired. I smile sweetly, say a saccharine thank you and mentally break a brick on her head.
A few minutes later, I am sitting behind Plain-short- a little on her right. The client is a business man-contractor who wants to sue his partner. According to him, he they had been friends for years and didn’t think it was necessary to draw up a contract la di da. Fast forward six business-years and they are arguing about who gets what share. We agree to write a letter of demand to Businessman’s friend-partner’s lawyer. I suspect he’s not telling all and I mention it to Plain-short later on. She agrees that the ‘witness’ may not have said it all- generally; clients hide unfavourable aspects of the story. I think I score points when I mention ADR to help hold on to what was left of their friendship rather than a drawn out court brawl.

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