"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." (ethical, attorney)
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The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.
Henry The Sixth, Part 2 Act 4, scene 2
It's a fact that most people have a negative opinion of lawyers. Some of these opinions are no doubt deserved. As with any profession, there are some bad apples that taint the batch, and the good apples unfairly take the blame. No matter what kind of law they practice, or how well, or how ethically, lawyers have to put up with all sorts of abuse.
Late last night, one of the best lawyers in the world and a noble champion of civil rights sadly passed away after a long struggle with ALS. The world is just a little dimmer this morning as a result.
A few years back, he gave a graduation speech which addressed the infamous Shakespeare quote above that I hope will stimulate some discussion here:
Lawyers create laws and perpetuate scenerios to keep lawyers in business.
Only in America have Lawyers been an incredible hinderence on the economy and Judicial system.
Last edited by DairousTheGreat; 06-10-2011 at 10:08 AM..
Reason: sp
Lawyer jokes are of course inevitable in a thread like this, but I had really hoped for a more intelligent brand of response.
What exactly do you want me to respond to?
You think they get a bad rap? There's a reason for it.
I know lots of lawyers. My brother, my uncles, my cousins, my sister-in-law, my grandad, several friends...family lawyers, ADAs, patent lawyers, defense lawyers, general practice lawyers, corporate lawyers...I love them dearly, most are really good people, but even the best of them is thoroughly an ass. I think it has to do with the style of arguing they teach.
For those who have never needed an attorney, they only know them from the media, television, movies, etc., where they're portrayed as sleezebags more often than not. And if anyone has needed the services of an attorney, they're usually not in an enviable situation. Therefore the entire atmosphere surrounding the meeting is negative.
Also, lawyers are taught to analyze problems a certain way, to anticipate and plan for all possible outcomes and to counsel people on inevitable failure.
The consequence of the above is that lawyers can be nitpicky, pedantic, and arrogant (particularly when we're explaining what we believe to be a fascinating issue to someone who builds cabinets for a living).
Most of all, lawyers have to try extra hard to make sure they get paid, because our only product is our time and expertise. And lots of people can't comprehend the concept of paying merely for someone else's time. Even though we do that for psychiatrists without batting an eye.
What exactly do you want me to respond to?
You think they get a bad rap? There's a reason for it.
I know lots of lawyers. My brother, my uncles, my cousins, my sister-in-law, my grandad, several friends...family lawyers, ADAs, patent lawyers, defense lawyers, general practice lawyers, corporate lawyers...I love them dearly, most are really good people, but even the best of them is thoroughly an ass. I think it has to do with the style of arguing they teach.
To the ideas expressed in the video.
You do have a point though - but I think it's not really an argument "style" that they teach in law school (to the extent they teach anything in law school, typically they don't).
Trial lawyers especially love to argue and see it as a sport, and as a result they are very good at it - too good for some people. Sometimes they forget that an argument isn't universally viewed this way or that most other people don't have the thick skins developed through the ritualized verbal abuse they got from professors in law school - one of the few practical things that get taught there.
"Normal" people tend to take things personally that lawyers would just shrug off, and a lot of lawyers can't just "turn off" that function when they leave the office...
I've been in meetings where the lawyers start going at it with each other (just playing devil's advocate or trying out arguments) and it freaks out the normal people who don't realize that it's just an academic exercise. Then when the lawyers are finished they act like there wasn't even an argument and that freaks the other people out even more.
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