It is only Wednesday, so I suppose I could receive a call that would top this one, but I’m pretty confident this will be the winner.
I received an inquiry by email, seeking representation on a breach of contract matter. The email mentioned that the contract was only two pages, so I responded that if the client wanted to email me the contract, I’d take a quick look at it at no charge, to determine if it was something with which I could assist the client.
A few minutes later, the contract arrived. The client was in South Africa, and the contract was entered into and was to be performed there. There was no connection to California whatsoever. I politely responded that I would not be able to represent the client in South Africa (can I appear pro hac vice there?), and could not provide any thoughts on the dispute because I would be practicing law without a license in South Africa, and would have no idea what the law is there.
I then asked, “out of curiosity, why did you contact an attorney in California about a matter in South Africa?”
“Because at this time of night, I didn’t think I would be able to find any attorneys still working here,” he responded.