I called in my two top researchers and sent them on a law-hunting expedition.
“When is an alcoholic beer NOT an alcoholic beer?”
And i told them where to look. “Check out all the provincial laws!”
They came back with their findings: ” In the Yukon OVER 5%. In P.E.I. UNDER .05%.”
EUREKA. My client's product, Europa, a non-alcoholic beer was under .05% right across Canada,
Proof unbeatable. Europa was Non-Alcoholic!
Now I was faced with a real problem.
“How do you write a brief?
I’D NEVER WRITTEN A BRIEF – LET ALONE TO THE MINISTER OF FINANCE!!!!!!!!!
I CALLED FOR HELP!
One of my lawyer friends in a top Montreal law office came to the rescue.
He’d written a brief.
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Unreadable!
10 pages. 11"x 14". No margins to speak of. Single spaced. No paragraphs.
All I could see was a sea of ….BLACK.
“You must be kidding. Who is going to read this!”
So i took a great gamble.
A first-of-a-kind Brief to the Minister of Finance.
A “GO-FOR-THE-HEADSPACE MARKETING MIRACLE! ”
What is a brief if it isn’t a SELLING INSTRUMENT!!!!!!!!
8 ½” X 11” long. 2” margins on either side. 3 paragraphs on a page. Double spacing between lines.
Quadruple spacing between paragraphs.
And if you want to sock it to them…..ONE PARAGRAPH ON THE PAGE!!!!!!!!!
If a brief is to be successful it has to grip its readers. That means it has to tell a story.
That means the only place for the supporting material was stuck in the back!!
Who can resist a story!
Especially with paragraph headings such as, "Catch 22"
"Look Ma, I can read! I can understand!!!!!!!!"
And especially if it contains testimonials from former alcoholics
"Me, was once alcoholic. Now can still drink...but only EUROPA!"
As a sole practitioner, there was no one standing over me telling me
that's not the proper way of doing things!
Now the last problem
I have a great brief.
But how do I change the law with this brief?
I needed help.
I closed my eyes and jumped...
right into the Office of the Minister of Finance!
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