Snippets from my life as a lawyer Part 3 A glamorous life. And then I discovered my true calling.

All my money went to Gibby's Restaurant.

In summer my secretary and I spent the mornings with dictation at Gibby's outside cafe on the pebbled

courtyard.

And in the winter, I invited people to join me for lunch.

Like the delightful judge I had met who bore no relation to the usual stiffness of judges, on or off the bench.

I first encountered this judge while waiting for my turn to present my case.

A woman was in front of the judge.

The clerk intoned. "Your name."

She replied, "Marie Claire."

And with no prompting, continued, "And today is my birthday!"

A broad grin spread on the judge's face, "Happy Birthday, Marie Claire"

Not your typical judge!

He was madly in love with another judge - an absolutely beautiful woman.

Very volatile and ruled by her passionate belief in youth whom she saw daily before her in juvenile court.

The image of him greeting her on arrival at the airport with a most passionate embrace still lives with me.

No question. I had to invite him to join me for lunch!

Practising law in Youville Stables was a touch surreal.

It was a practice like in the movies (in the days when movies was "in")

One meeting consisted of several of my clients in my office who were interested in investing in new ideas.

That evening they were listening to a young married man making his pitch about a collapsible toothbrush

he had invented. His wife and child sat patiently behind him as he extolled the toothbrush's salability!

His was a sad ending. My clients didn't invest. And he went bankrupt, His faithful wife and baby son were

left without support.

But there was no question.

There was a glamour about practicing on top of Gibby's

Including the first car I bought with my own money.

A second hand red Volkswagon Beetle convertible - with a Carmen Gia body!

i couldn't have felt more glamorous....while i froze in hell in winter!

There was nothing glamorous about the practice itself until....

Out of the blue...I received a letter from my client who was a distributor of specialty foods.

"My non-alcoholic beer is being taxed by Customs like an alcoholic beer.

Would you write a letter to the government?".....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suddenly, my whole body and mind came alive. I didn't have to think which law applied.

All I had to do was listen to my inner voice. "Ma it ain't fair."

I had discovered my calling.

I was a natural for government business relations.

I didn't have to operate within the confines of legal rules

I could let my imagination take over and create the frame

in which to create a winning brief to the government.

A "MARKETING-STYLE BRIEF.

A BRIEF WITH A HOOK!

A BRIEF WITHOUT ONE LEGAL WORD!

And what do you do then? "You do what comes naturally. You ask for help!!!!!!!!!"

I called the people in the Minister of Finance Department in Ottawa and asked them to help me!

Who can resist the call of a damsel in distress?

Definitely not 7 men sitting leisurely around around a table on a Friday afternoon in the offices of the

Minister of Finance

My brief made the budget! I changed a law!.

And this first success was followed by 4 other government/business escapades. All successes.

I closed my law office with two possible goals.

Start a government business consulting firm....or

Peddle the You! be the Judge column which I had created.

The sit com, the courtroom drama, and the who-dun-it, based on actual court cases.

Everyday language, everyday people, everyday problems.

Which turned out to be an incredible branding vehicle for lawyers.

And lasted up to 22 years!

The peddling won out.

I've been a peddler ever since!