I have always found the expression, “The Practice of Law,” suggestive. When I recently asked a lawyer friend what he was up to, he said he was still practicing because he hadn’t gotten it perfect yet.

I came across this great quote by George Gopen in the Winter edition of Litigation, “Writing is part and parcel of the thinking process.” You think in order to write; you read what you have written to judge what it is you have thought, and that leads you back to thinking. ‘How do I know what I mean until I see what I say.’

When I was new to the practice I developed stomach problems. I went to see my physician, a wise and compassionate former hippie. He asked me what the problem was and I told him that I had a stressful job that was causing me stomach problems. “What do you do for a living?” he asked. I told him I was a divorce lawyer, thus proudly bolstering my self-diagnosis.

Enter the way back machine. My practice looked like this in 1985: After I returned to the office from court, I dictated a letter advising my client of the results, next actions and other necessary follow up. I used a handheld recorder with miniature cassette tapes.