Vermont Bar Journal, Vol. 40, No. 2 Fall 2015, Vol 41, No. 3 | Page 20

by Mark Bassingthwaighte, Esq.

Procrastination’s Dark Side
All right, I’ll admit it. I am a procrastinator. If there is a Procrastinator’s Anonymous, I should probably be a member. In
fact, I wonder if an organization such as this
actually exists. I’ve always thought about
checking into that, but somehow I never
got around to it. Now, my excuse for never checking has been that I tend to perform well under the gun. In fact, some of
my best work often occurs when I’m working under a time crunch. I am able to produce when I must. Even better, I like the
feeling of satisfaction that I get when it’s
all over, having met the deadline with a job
well done. It feels good. I have earned my
place.
What’s the problem then? A false sense
of security is the problem and this is the
dark side of procrastination. I’ve pulled it
off at the last minute so many times before
that I’m certain I can do it again and often this is true. Of course this can only happen if no unforeseen circumstances arise;
and note that I have not shared the stories
of when I didn’t make the deadline. I assure you that I have had them. That said,
while my missing a deadline from time to
time might mean that I will need to ask for
an extension, for an attorney in practice, a
missed deadline can be disastrous.
Consider Rule 1.3 (a) of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and commentary. The rule states: “A lawyer shall act
with reasonable diligence and promptness
in representing a client.” Comment [3] to
this rule reads
Perhaps no professional shortcoming
is more widely resented than procrastination. A client’s interests often