Skip to Content
  • Home
  • About the Bar
  • Mission
  • Forms
  • Sitemap
    • Member Directory
      Last Name:
      First Name:
      Bar Number:
      City:


    • Login
OSB Logo

Oregon State Bar Bulletin — OCTOBER 2011
Parting Thoughts
My First Client
By Ronald Talney


It was my first day in private law practice: August 1969. I had entered into an arrangement with Gordon Mac-Laren, a former prosecutor in the D.A.’s office, now in private practice, to share office space with him in East Multnomah County. I had gone to a local office furniture store and purchased, on credit, a desk, an executive chair, two side chairs and a file cabinet. My certificates of admission to the bar and the Oregon Supreme Court were beautifully framed and hung on my new office wall in such a way as to be easily seen and, hopefully, admired by clients sitting in one of the side chairs.

Our offices were located in what was then the Gateway Shopping Center, and, fortuitously, next to the liquor store, which generated lots of foot traffic past our door. Gordon had the front office, with the view of the street. His wife, Jan, was our secretary and receptionist. My office was the interior one, with no window. There was a combination conference room/library/kitchen in the back and a restroom.

Gordon had been very generous in the arrangements and I was to pay a percentage of my monthly gross, the percentage going down as the gross increments went up. Hopefully, up. As a result, if I took in nothing in a month, which I feared might happen, I would owe nothing. He had an empty office and I needed one, so it worked to our mutual advantage. I decided to go into practice in the Gateway area because I had once lived there and my parents still lived there. I felt I would have some name recognition, for good or bad. If I were downtown, I feared I would be lost in its concrete canyons.

I had left a position with Multnomah County, where I was head of the Civil Service System. Married, with three young children, it was a leap of faith to leave a secure salary, with benefits, to hang out my shingle and start with nothing and no guarantee of clients. I had sold my cherished sports car and cashed in my retirement account, so that gave me a small cushion. In addition, the commission asked me to continue part-time until my successor could be hired, which turned out to be five months. All things considered, it was an ideal arrangement. But scary nonetheless.

Still, it was with some fear and trepidation that I sat at my desk that first morning, wondering what I was doing there. My desk was devoid of paperwork. The file cabinet contained no files. The certificates on the wall looked impressive, but my empty side chairs just sat there mocking me. The room was deathly quiet. I could faintly hear Jan out in the reception area typing. I could hear Gordon on the phone talking to a client. But I was doing nothing. Just the morning crossword puzzle.

But then, suddenly, my telephone buzzed. There was a call for me. Who could it be? That prospective client who had slipped and fallen in the Fred Meyer store across from our office and sustained, alas, serious and permanent injuries? …No, it was my mother. She informed me, in her gentle Scottish brogue, that she wished an appointment. She wanted her will done. I scanned my new desk calendar to see if I had an opening and could squeeze her in. Fortunately, I did. In fact, I told her, I had had a cancellation and I could see her that very morning.

A short time later my father delivered her to our door. She was dressed like she was going to church, right down to the tiny pillbox hat she always wore, the one with the dotted veil and the pheasant feather sticking straight out from one side. She looked around and nodded with approval. I questioned her closely about her estate plans and took extensive notes. After she left I dictated a will and it was back on my desk by mid-afternoon. The next day she returned to our office, again dressed as if she was going to meet the queen, and the will was reviewed and signed with all the necessary formalities. I had serviced my first client. She paid me $125, considerably more than simple wills were going for at that time. But she insisted. As it happened, it was my gross income for that month.

Years later, after my mother had passed on, I learned the truth. She had no need for a will. She and my father had wills that had been prepared by my brother-in-law, who was in private practice too. The will I had prepared was simply a duplicate of what he had already done.

Yes, when it comes to your very first client, I can tell you this: if it’s an elderly Scottish lady dressed to the nines, bless her heart, you can truly say you’ve struck the mother lode.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ronald Talney, a retired public interest lawyer who lives in Lake Oswego, is the author of the recently released satiric novel, Nockers Up!, from Inkwater Press, and a memoir, The Archives of Silence, from West Virginia University.

© 2011 Ronald Talney


— return to top
— return to Table of Contents

  • For The Public

      Public Legal Information

    • Public Information Home
    • Legal Information Topics
    • Oregon Juror Guide
    • Submit Ethics Complaint

    • Getting Legal Help

    • Finding The Right Lawyer
    • Hiring A Lawyer
    • Lawyers Fees

    • Client Services

    • Client Assistance Office
    • Client Security Fund
    • Fee Dispute Resolution
    • Public Records Request
    • Locating Attorney Files

    • Unlawful Practice of Law

    • UPL Information
    • UPL FAQ

    • Volunteer Opportunities

    • Public Member Application
  • For Members

    OSB Login

    • Log In To OSB Site
    • Member Account Setup
    • Non-Member Account Setup
    • Reset Password

    OSB Resources

    • Attorney's Marketplace
    • Career Center
    • Events
    • Forms Library
    • Online Resources
    • OSB Group Listings
    • Performance Standards
    • Rules Regulations and Policies
    • Surveys and Research Reports
    • Unclaimed Client Funds
    • Voting Regions and By-City
      County Information

    Fastcase™

    • Log in to Fastcase
    • Overview
    • Scheduled Webinars
    • Inactive Member Subscriptions

    Legal Ethics

    • Legal Ethics Home
    • Find an Ethics Opinion
    • Bulletin Bar Counsel Archive

    Company Administrator

    • Company Administrator Home
    • Company Administrator FAQ
    • Authorization Form

    State Lawyers
    Assistance Committee

    • SLAC Info

    Volunteering

    • Volunteer Opportunities

    Court Information

    • Judicial Vacancies
    • Court Info | Calendars | Jury Info
    • Oregon Attorneys
      in Federal Court
    • Tribal Courts of Oregon

    OSB Publications

    • Bar Bulletin Magazine
    • – Bulletin Archive
    • – Legal Writer Archive
    • Capitol Insider
    • Disciplinary Board Reporter

    PLF Programs

    • (OAAP) Oregon Attorney
      Assistance Program
    • Practice Management Attorneys
    • Malpractice Coverage
  • CLE/Legal Publications

    CLE Seminars

    • CLE Seminars Home
    • Online Seminar Registration
    • General Info/FAQ

    My Account

    • My Content
    • My Events
    • Order History

    Legal Publications

    • Legal Publications Home
    • Log in to BarBooks®
    • BarBooks® FAQ
    • Online Bookstore
    • Legal Pubs Blog
  • Bar Programs

    Diversity & Inclusion

    • Diversity & Inclusion Home
    • Diversity Story Wall
    • D&I Programs
    • ACDI Roster
    • D&I Staff Contacts
    • D&I Links

    Legislative/Public Affairs

    • Legislative Home
    • Committee Contacts
    • Legislative Sessions
    • Staff Contacts
    • Useful Links

    Legal Services Program

    • LSP Home

    Oregon Law Foundation

    • OLF Home
    • Partners in Justice

    Fee Dispute Resolution

    • Fee Dispute Resolution Home

    Pro Bono

    • Pro Bono Home
    • Pro Bono Reporting
    • Volunteer Opportunities

    Lawyer Referral and Information Services

    • RIS Login
    • Summary of Referral and Information Services Programs
    • Lawyer Referral Service Info and Registration Forms
    • Modest Means Program Registration Forms
    • Military Assistance Panel Training Info and Registration Form
    • Problem Solvers Registration Form
    • Lawyer To Lawyer Registration Form

    (LRAP) Loan Repayment Assistance Program

    • LRAP Home
    • LRAP FAQ
    • LRAP Policies
  • Member Groups

    Sections

    • Section Info/Websites
    • Joining Sections
    • CLE Registration Services
    • Standard Section Bylaws (PDF)
    • Leadership Resources
    • Treasurers Tools

    Committees

    • Home
    • Leadership Resources
    • Professionalism Commission
    • Volunteer Opportunities

    House of Delegates

    • HOD Home
    • HOD Resources
    • Meetings
    • Rules (PDF)
    • Roster (PDF)
    • Staff Contacts

    Board of Governors

    • BOG Home
    • Meetings & Agendas
    • Members
    • Liaisons
    • Committees
    • Resources
    • Task Forces

    Oregon New Lawyers Division

    • ONLD Home
    • Law Students
    • Student Loan Repayment
    • Committees
    • Upcoming Events

    Task Forces and Special Committees

    • Task Forces Home

    Volunteer Bars

    • List/Contacts
    • Leadership Resources

    Volunteering

    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Licensing/Compliance

    Admissions

    • Admissions Home
    • Alternative Admittance
    • Applicants for Admission
    • Admissions Forms
    • Past Bar Exam Results

    Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination

    • SPPE Home

    Licensed Paralegal Program

    • LP Home

    Lawyer Discipline

    • Discipline Home
    • Disciplinary Board Reporter
    • Disciplinary Boards
    • Client Assistance Office
    • (SPRB) State Professional Responsibility Board

    Membership Records

    • Address Changes
    • Good Standing Certificate
    • Request Discipline File Review

    MCLE

    • MCLE Home
    • Program Database
    • Forms
    • Rules (PDF)

    IOLTA Reporting

    • IOLTA Home
    • IOLTA FAQ

    Licensing Fees

    • Licensing Fee FAQ
    • Licensing Fee Payment

    Status Changes

    • Status Changes FAQ
    • Inactive Status Form
    • Retired Status Form
    • Active Pro Bono Status Form
    • Reinstatement Forms
    • Resignation Form A
    • Pending Reinstatements

    Unlawful Practice of Law

    • UPL Information
    • UPL FAQ

    Pro Hac Vice/Arbitration

    • Pro Hac Vice
    • Arbitration

    New Lawyer Mentoring Program

    • New Lawyer Mentoring Program Home

    Professional Liability Fund

    • Professional Liability
      Fund Website
For The Public

Public Information Home
Legal Information Topics
Oregon Juror Guide
Finding The Right Lawyer
Hiring A Lawyer
Lawyers Fees
Client Assistance Office
Public Records Request
Unlawful Practice of Law
Fee Dispute Resolution
Client Security Fund
Volunteer Opportunities
for the Public

For Members

BarBooks®
Bulletin Archive
Career Center
Fastcase™
Judicial Vacancies
Legal Ethics Opinions
OSB Group Listings
OSB Login
OSB Rules & Regs
SLAC Info
Surveys and Reports
Volunteer Opportunities

CLE/Legal Pubs

CLE Seminars Home
Legal Publications Home

Bar Programs

Diversity & Inclusion
Fee Arbitration/Mediation
Legal Services Program
Legislative/Public Affairs
Loan Repayment
Assistance Program

Oregon Law Foundation
Pro Bono

Member Groups

Board of Governors
Committees
House of Delegates
Volunteer Bars
Oregon New
Lawyers Division

OSB Sections
Professionalism
Commission

Volunteer Opportunities

About The Bar

About the Bar
ADA Notice
Contact Info
Copyright Notice
Directions to the Bar
Meeting Room Rentals
Mission Statement
OSB Job Opportunities
Privacy Policy
Staff Directory
Terms of Use

Licensing/Compliance

Admissions
Client Assistance Office
Client Security Fund
IOLTA Reporting
Lawyer Discipline
MCLE
Member Fee FAQ
New Lawyer
Mentoring Program

Professional Liability Fund
Status Changes

Oregon State Bar Center

Phone: (503) 620-0222
Toll-free in Oregon: (800) 452-8260
Facsimile: (503) 684-1366

Building Location:
16037 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road
Tigard, OR 97224

Mailing Address:
PO Box 231935
Tigard, OR 97281

Oregon State Bar location Map

Copyright ©1997 Oregon State Bar  ®All rights reserved | ADA Notice | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use