It was a day like any other at Vanilla Ice Partners at Law.
Not that that's saying much...
It had been nine weeks since I was offered an associate position with the law firm. In those entire nine weeks, I didn't see a single client walk through the office doors.
In fact, apart from a smash hit in the early 90's (a controversial High Court decision in favour of their client in Salt v Pepper) it seemed like my firm’s senior partners, Vince Vanilla and Ike Ice, were slowly becoming obsolete in the legal world.
I was determined not to share their fate.
Despite a preference for surf over study, I had learned a lot in my study of law at Bond University. One course in particular, Australian Legal System (ALS), taught me how to think, breathe and live like a lawyer. This knowledge empowered me with the skills I would need to succeed. At least, that’s what my professors told me.
Now, face to face with my ninth week of nothingness, I was beginning to doubt my decision to accept a position with Vanilla Ice. M.C. Hammer had clients pouring through their firm’s doors. De Law Soul represented some of the biggest clients around. Yet, here I was, staring at the empty chair in front of my desk, waiting desperately for someone to walk through my door. To make things worse, Vanilla and Ice had sent me a memorandum:
AS YOU KNOW, IT IS FIRM POLICY THAT EACH ASSOCIATE ADVISES HIS OR HER FIRST CLIENT BY THE TIME OF THEIR PERFORMANCE REVIEW. AS YOU ALSO KNOW, WE ARE CONDUCTING YOUR PERFORMANCE REVIEW AT 4 PM THIS THURSDAY, MARCH 17TH. WHAT GIVES, RYDER? NO CLIENTS? YOU BETTER PULL UP YOUR SOCKS. THIS FIRM WILL NO LONGER HOLD YOUR HAND WHILE YOU RIDE OUR COATTAILS! SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT.
-Mr. Vanilla, Senior Partner
-Mr. Ice, Senior Partner
There I was, face to face with impending doom. It was 4pm on Monday afternoon, giving me exactly 72 hours to come together with an entire client file to present to my senior partners.
But all hope was not lost; I had been in this situation before.
Suddenly, terrifying flashbacks of 4pm deadlines, 30% major assignments, and ALS consumed me.
At that precise moment, he came along.
