Everybody HATES lawyers, until they NEED an attorney

[Walt Starr]

And that's the meme to defeat the crap about Edwards. He was there when regular folks NEEDED him.

My wife is an attorney and generally speaking, the legal profession is the most ethics driven profession in the world.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. People hate what they don't understand

It's as simple as that. They don't understand the system, nor what lawyers do, and so they hate them.

[displacedtexan]

2. People* REALLY HATE lawyers if they can't get into law school!

* Bush*

[jobycom]

3. Mostly, Repubs hate them, because

Lawyers prevent them from screwing as many people as they want.

Repubs like lawyers when they can use them to get something.

[Jacobin]

4. Smirky was covered up in lawyers in the 2000 election

five lawyers on the supreme court made him pretzledent.

I don't understand this animosity toward his king-making pals.

:eyes:

[Cassandra]

5. I have some lawyer friends so I don't hate them and...

when I went into arbitration against my broker, I had a wonderful lawyer; sharp, intelligent, driven to right wrongs and a real shark. I loved every minute that he was fighting for me. The whole experience was fascinating (and a bit scary) and we won partially, although not as much as we would have liked. His greatest joy in his work is catching the broker in a lie in front of the arbitrators; he had some fun moments.

[Bozita]

6. My lawyer is an attorney; yours is a TRIAL LAWYER

[Eloriel]

7. No, not everyone hates attorneys

I've never hated them. In fact, I LOVE attorneys -- not each and every one individually (e.g., Roy Black, Ted Olson and ALL the Federalists), but they are absolutely critical to our democracy.

In fact, we all got a firsthand look at why lawyers are critical to democracy and the entire functioning of our country during the Election 2000 fiasco. Aside from the fact that it didn't turn out right, at each step of the way prior to that we saw lawyers doing their absolutely essential job: trying to help sort out what the law(s) actually mean and how they should (or shouldn't) work. When there are disputes among parties, lawyers are integral.

Do things sometimes get out of hand? Are there unsavory jerks who are attorneys? Is the system too often one where the most money wins? Is justice sometimes lost completely while thrashing about with all the legalisms and technicalities? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Routinely things don't go according to our highest ideals, and sometimes not even common sense ------------------JUST AS WITH ANY PROFESSION.

I love lawyers so much I wish I was one. In fact, a year or so ago I seriously considered enrolling in law school at my advanced age (56). Would have, too, had it not been for the fact that I didn't think I could physically manage a 3-hr. round trip commute several days a week over 5 years in the parttime program.

[RememberTheCoup]

8. And a lot of them don't make much money

Especially considering the number of years they go to school.

[KayLaw]

9. I don't feel that way at all

I like lawyers a lot and see them as standing between us and the bullying corporations. I see them as equalizers.

[Sandpiper]

10. If you impugn lawyers, you're impugning the profession

Of two of our greatest Presidents.

Thomas Jefferson - lawyer

Abraham Lincoln - lawyer

[indigobusiness]

11. Good Attorneys are like good Cops

and bad ones are similar, too.

Nobility is well earned and deserved in both professions.

The problem with both lines of work is the influence the job has on thinking, over time. I have seen how this transforms people, often tragically.

[jukes]

12. Walt Starr

i hate enemas, except when i haven't voided in 2 weex!

i see your point, & find it valid; i just can't help being a smartass.



:+

[bhunt70]

13. funny, I've used a lawyer once in my life for a big problem

I totally agree with you. Extremely helpful and beneficial.

[dryan]

16. What did Shakespeare say...

first, hang all the lawyers.

My father-in-law was an attorney and I have several friends who are attorneys. When you are in trouble, who is the first person you call?
Years ago, I read an interview with Melvin Belli, "King of the Torts". He said that one of his first cases involved a man who was electrocuted at work and was paralyzed from the waist down. The company that the man worked for knew that there was an electrical problem and did nothing about it. Belli sued and won the case and the man was awarded about $5 million dollars - it was the biggest settlment at that time for the State of California. Belli got a lot of criticism for it. But think, the man cannot move the bottom half of his body, play with his kids, make love, drive a car, he needed constant care, etc. Wouldn't you want an attorney that would be willing to go after a big award for you?

[Az]

14. We are a nation of laws

When one person steps forward to defend another person they use the laws to do so. The corporations hate nothing more than a people that can defend themself. They hate anything that might interfere with their attempt to subjigate the people. If We The People fail to stand up for those who stand up for us then we have already given in to the corporate consumption of our society.

[K8-EEE]

15. GOPs Love CORPORATE Lawyers...and CORP Rights...

Just as long as you and I don't have either, that's fine with them.

[AP]

17. Everyone hates it when the other side has a lawyer.

But they'd never want to give up their own access to a lawyer and to the courts.

[RichardRay]

18. Adversarial Justice System

is what we have. It's sort of like gladiators with words and books. Lawyers are the specialists who know how to be the most effect adversaries. Since it has nothing to do with justice or ethics, just effective advocacy, there can certainly be some questionable outcomes.

The real question is, what would be better? How would you choose to make lawyers 'fight fair'? I've been tried for federal felonies. I was guilty of a couple of them and not guilty of most of the laundry list thrown at me. I was DAMN glad my defense council fought all of the charges equally. It wasn't his job to determine my guilt - that's for the court.

Yeah, I generally like lawyers, and even when I don't like them I understand what's going on.

Richard Ray - Jackson Hole, WY

[WilliamPitt]

19. Where have I heard that before?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1935088&mesg_id=1935088

:)

[GumboYaYa]

20. I am an attorney and I take great pleasure in helping people

when they have few other options. There is immense gratification when you can make a significant change in a person's life for the better. Lawyers get those opportunitties every day. Yes, there are some jerks in our profession. Yes, some lawyers are driven solely by the deisre to enhance their own net worth. But for every one of those, there is a lawyer who is fighting the fight to help real people or to prevent injustices or to remedy discrimination or to undertake one of the many other roles where lawyers sit between tyranny and a free society.

Please, never lump us all together.

[Debi]

21. Some personal injury or workers compensation claims

can take years to resolve.

The lawyer, in some cases, does not get paid until the end of the case. Just imagine working for three-four years w/out pay and then having someone call you greedy because of the size of your paycheck.