Lawyering is like sailing

Lawyering is like sailing… you need to think in advance what may come, prepare for the worst, hope for the best… summer has been kind to me this year, with lot of wind and sun… the occasional thunder storm, and warm summer winds… sailing along the danish islands in the Baltic Sea which are rightly called danish Caribbean islands …

…sailing requires skills you do not really learn in training, but only in observation of skilled ones… this is the master-pupil-relationship on which to build solid understanding of methods.. as in law, where you are socialised into the job rather than trained… something which makes transfer from one firm to another so difficult, because you not just learn skills, but adopt values….

…. you must have courage, not to be afraid to go to the top… fix things however small, as they might have a big impact…. make leverage of methods and tools available to you… and think around the corner as solutions to problems are always needed…

…. making a good knot is like a good contract… binds when pressure comes up, but dissolves easily when not needed…. connects things when it makes sense, lets it go when no more of use… not easy to learn, but a lifelong skill helpfull in various situations… can keep you safe, on the lesser side of risks…

… as a Captain on a boat you have the responsibility for the crew, as a lawyer has for his clients… he (or she) needs to constantly look forward, to what might happen… Charter the right course… Use the wheather window like the business opportunity… organise the watch… make sure there is a lookout… navigate uncharted waters… in one word: accept responsibility

… organizing the right provisions before leaving the shore is sometimes more important than knowing the best route… as Food, Drink and the Service around it might contribute to the success just as the know how setting the right course… in both cases, clients will pay easier for a happy voyage than for dull one, even if both are successful ….

… if you do not not know the aim, no wind is the right one*…. No course can be devised…. No sail can be set correctly… no Harbour will ever be reached in time… realistic planning is 50% of the effort… and contributes more to the successful voyage than the best navigator…