K-0009 – The Black Book

Detail, anticipation and organization is more than just listening to Max insisting on taking napkins along with pizza to a hungry hoard at a bar (K-0007). It is in my mind the approach to the entire practice of law, wherever and however one practices law.

In the 1980s, there of course were no smartphones and a precursor, the palm pilot (of blessed memory) was not even yet invented.

My “go to” was a very small note binder with alpha dividers that I used as an address book together with the annual Canadian Bar Associaton pocket calendar. To this day, it remains the greatest thing the organization ever did for me.

Who I learned this all from was of course none other than (again) Stephen R. Coxford (K-0003).

Steve had taught me to keep track of people’s phone numbers alphabetically by company (not last name) and only in pencil. People move of course.

Within the “H” tab, I had developed over the years a pretty impressive list of direct dial numbers for hotels around the world. Hey, this was before the Google and a mobile phone. If someone was travelling to, say Hong Kong, there was a pretty good bet they were going to stay at the same hotel they had stayed at the last time. And if you needed to find them, you had to find them. And under “M” I had a notation fo the “Map Guy” who could create the maps needed showing mining properties in a prospectus.

On the last page of my beloved black book (which I still have – picture attached) I wrote notes to myself of things to always keep in mind. I have over the years pulled out the black book and shared my now barely legible notes (pencil of course) to any number of students and young lawyers. The notes include the following:
• Pay attention to the detail
• Read the boiler plate. It is often wrong
• Anticipate what will happen or what needs to happen next
• Have zero expectations of being congratulated but enjoy it when it happens
• Spell people’s names correctly. It is often the only thing in a document they may very well read
• When you have a point to make, make it.
• Shine

Use these or create your own and put them in your own black book or computer file, but keep going back to them. They will guide you through your entire career.