The State Bar Association of North Dakota Fall 2013 Gavel Magazine | Page 26

A SNAPSHOT ON NOTETAKING
by David Chapman

Mark Twain said, “If you tell the truth
then you don’t need to remember anything.” Wonderful advice, but for lawyers
the effective, but not so catchy phrase
should be, “Refer to your notes and you
don’t need to remember anything.”
Why are notes important to the ethical
practice of law? Where do I begin? There
are a multitude of very good reasons
for lawyers to take very detailed notes.
Addressing all of the reasons goes well
beyond the scope of this brief article, but
there are two important functions of careful note taking: (1) protection of the client’s interests; (2) protection of the lawyer.
Lawyers should meticulously take notes
on our cases because our credibility is one
of our main assets. We are poor lawyers
without credibility. As a lawyer with the
short term memory of an old mosquito, I
take notes on everything. Phrases like “I
think so,” “if I remember correctly,” and
“the way I remember it” are not confidence building phrases for a client and
can show a certain measure of disorganization if you are defending against a bar
complaint.
First, our notes serve the client well.
Lawyers are required to provide competent representation under Rule 1.1.
With cell phones, text messaging, email
and news at the speed of a mouse click,
lawyers are increasingly under pressure
to provide rapid fire services for clients.
Lawyers may view note taking as detrimental to the effort to satisfy the client’s
need for rapid fire service, but to skip
careful note taking in favor fast food legal

24

services is both dangerous for the lawyer
and not good for the client. Many legal issues are complex and require methodical
analysis and careful deliberation.
In one of my practice ??????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????Q???T?L??
????)???????????????9????
???????)?????????qm?u??????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)???????????a????????????????%?????)I?????
?????????????????d??????????)???????????????????????????????)????????????t?I?????????????????)?????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????$???????????)?????????????????????????????????)????????)Q????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????I??(????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????e??????????)??????????Q?????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????%??????????)????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????)1???????????????????????I??(????????q?????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)??????????t?5????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)??????e?????????????????????????????)=????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????)??????????????????????????)??????????1???????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????%?)??????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????()?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????!??)?????????????????????????????????)????????%??????????????????????)e??????????????????????????????????)???I???????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????9???????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????)?????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)I????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????9???)?????M??????
???????????????)????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????+?q???????????????????????????????)???????????????t?e????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)????????????)Q???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)????????????????9???????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????]??????????????????????????)??????????????????Q????????????)???????????????????????????????)%??????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????Q????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????Q???????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)???????????????????%?????????????)??????????????????????????????????)???????????????????e??????????????()Q???????????????((