Did you know there was a National Lawyers Day?
We get a bad rap, we lawyers. There are several reasons why:
1. People consult us when they are in crisis. You don’t just make a sweet “hello, how are you” call to your lawyer.
2. People consult us about negative topics. (Except adoption, if you’re adopting.) Lawyers deal in the currency of pain. This can cause you to form a negative association. Usually you call (see above) for a negative reason: You got arrested, you’re getting a divorce, you’re being sued, someone wronged you. You generally don’t have a pleasant reason to call us.
3. Our adversarial system of justice brings out the worst in human nature. There is often a winner and a loser. This can create greediness and the desire for control on the client’s behalf. Because our job is to advocate, this can fan flames that could more sensibly be brought under control.
I agree with the sentiment of Be Kind to Lawyers Day. The reality is that at some point you’re going to need one of us. Let’s be kind to one another and respect each other.
