♫ For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way… ♫

—  Music and Lyrics by C. François, P. Anka, J. Revaux & G. Thibaut,
recorded by Frank Sinatra.

30 years. It seems like forever, but it passed by in an instant. This column came to be in August 1994 and has been a regular event in my life ever since. I can look back and see the columns like steppingstones over that period.

PracticeTalk was started as the CBA wanted a regular column on practice management for CBA members. As the Chair of the Law Practice Management Section then, I wrote the first column to start the process. Then the time came for the second... and third... and no one else stepped forward, so I kept on writing them. Most of my ideas for the columns came about when I was out for runs. On an early run, the lyrics to: “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” by Reba McEntire suddenly popped into my head. Aha! The idea for the first column on lawyer communication also created my first “Musical Headnote,” which soon became my trademark.

The doodle that appears on the first column (right) was done by my daughter, then three years old, while sitting at my desk where my first printed column came out. Dr. Lauren L. Bilinsky MD grew up with the column always in the background of our lives, written on vacations, up in Whistler and in places long since forgotten.

I thought about mentioning a few notable columns, but it struck me that highlighting the themes that I continually tried to raise would be more appropriate.

Foremost was leadership: that, as lawyers, we have to seize the opportunity to live with purpose, to shape our day, our practices, to guide our firms and our communities and make the most of the strengths and the time we have. “Time is the coin of your life. You spend it. Do not allow others to spend it for you.” — Carl Sandburg.

Secondly is continually learning and adapting to change. Over 30-40 years you will experience changes in the law, in business, an increasing rate of change with regard to technology, new approaches to problems, ideas and much more. For example, we are facing a new regulatory environment and increasing calls to make dramatic changes for the accessibility of legal services. “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” — John F. Kennedy.

Third, treat yourself, those near you and others with empathy and respect. This applies not only to clients, to staff and partners, but opposing parties and counsel equally. “Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.” — Dalai Lama.

Fourth, plan. From organizing your To-Do list, to drafting a firm budget, to setting strategic and financial goals for yourself and your firm, to adopting new technology, continually anticipate where the world is going and how you can adapt accordingly. “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” — Alan Lakein.

Fifth, strive for extraordinary results. “People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” — Edmund Hillary.

The column was a big part in the other events in my life in the area of practice management. It turned me into an author and presenter. I was the CBA’s National Co-Chair of the Law Practice Management Section; a long-time speaker, Board Member and Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s TECHSHOW and active in the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Section; a longtime co-author of the Finance column and Editor in Chief of the American Bar Association’s flagship publication, Law Practice Magazine; I was named a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management and a Fellow in the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts as well as being the Practice Management Advisor at the Law Society of British Columbia for 20 years. Then there was founding and chairing for years of the Pacific Legal Technology Conference here in Vancouver!

The work of continually writing PracticeTalk opened doors, and for that I will be eternally grateful. It has been a wonderful ride.

I should say that I stepped on some toes over the years. I recall Microsoft responding to my column on the problems with Microsoft 95. BarTalk printed their comments as well as my retort. And we continued on!

Of course, this column would never have lasted as long as it did were it not for the great team behind the scenes — from all the Editors, to BarTalk’s Editorial Committee, the CBA and of course, you, the readers. A shout out to Deb Carfrae who, amazingly, has been my Editor for the last 20 years! Whatever success this column has had, it is entirely due to Deb’s and everyone’s loyalty, support, feedback and engagement over the years. 

I owe a special and heartfelt thanks to all my readers, who continually ranked this column high in the BarTalk surveys thereby allowing it to be a part of their lives for so long. I hope the torch is taken up by younger minds who continue to meet the need for practice management information in BarTalk.

And so, my final thoughts. I have to say thanks to the CBA for allowing me the opportunity to speak to you over all these years without any editorial interference or influence, or modification of what I had to say. In my experience, this is unprecedented and fully appreciated. I wrote each column from the heart, saying what I truly felt and what my research had taught me. As old Blue Eyes said, “I took the blows and did it my way.”

Read Dave’s 1st column in the August 1994 issue.