Navigation Be a Careful Lawyer
Jim Vickaryous
The old carpenter’s advice, “measure twice, cut once,” is just as applicable to lawyers as it is to those that swing a hammer. Maybe it’s even wiser for lawyers to measure their work three times. After all, our clients are much more important than a piece of wood. It goes without saying that a lawyer needs to always be careful in what they do and choose their words with wisdom.
The story of Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple, offers a compelling narrative on the importance of meticulousness and commitment to craftsmanship. In a formative childhood experience, Steve Jobs learned a profound lesson from his father while painting a fence. Tasked with this seemingly routine chore, Jobs’s father insisted that not only the visible side but also the unseen side facing the neighbors needed to be thoroughly painted. Puzzled by the necessity of investing effort in an area hidden from view, Jobs questioned his father, who imparted a fundamental insight. The lesson was simple yet profound: True excellence transcends external recognition. Just as Jobs’s father insisted on painting both the visible and unseen sides of the fence, lawyers must approach their work with a commitment to meticulousness, recognizing that their efforts, like the unseen side, contribute significantly to the overall tapestry of justice. What we do as lawyers offer is neither seen nor heard. Seen or not, our careful efforts are necessary for our clients.
