‘Beware the Ides of March,’ Shakespeare’s soothsayer warned Caesar. I had a more positive experience on that date.

My phone rang twice on that cold, wet Thursday in 2018.

‘What you’re going to hear isn’t a familiar tale. It will probably alarm you, and you’ll have many questions. But it’s an important true story about justice and the Rule of Law. After twenty years, I’m ready to tell it,’ my first client explained.

I listened intently, scrawling shorthand notes as he spoke. His story wasn’t remarkable. It was much more than that. He wanted to expose a powerful criminal enterprise intertwined with corrupt law enforcement officials.

It sounded almost too good to be true, like a plot from a Raymond Chandler or James Ellroy novel. But my brave contact had kept boxes of evidence to support his words. Reams of paperwork and hours of covert audio recordings. The sort of contemporaneous material that lawyers and publishers pray for! He offered unfettered access to everything.

We arranged to meet away from prying eyes.

A second client – a successful professional - called later that day. Hers was a harrowing tale of personal loss, family tragedy and private struggle. In many ways, she had been on a more challenging emotional journey than any whistleblower. Yet her story was full of boundless love, dignity and warmth.

She spoke softly as we chatted and, at one point, paused to clear her throat and shed a tear.

‘It has been difficult, mentally. But my husband and I have given this considerable thought. We want to tell our story. Publishing this will help with the healing process. It’s not about closure – this is about celebrating a life. It'll be worth it if that helps readers in similar situations.’

I listened, offered support and reassurance, and then listened some more. Her life story had been a roller-coaster, yet it ended on a beautifully uplifting note. We agreed to talk again the following week.

Within a few hours on 15 March, I’d been offered two fascinating writing projects. They were remarkable in contrasting ways. One was an analysis of how unchecked institutional dysfunction can turn into corruption. The other an assessment of the human condition and how, in a tragic instant, life can change so irreversibly.

My life changed irrevocably on the Ides of March. But unlike Caesar, the outlook for those involved was a little more positive.