Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Uh.... earth to wannabe lawyers
From: Teresa299@aol.com
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 14:34:50 EST

In a message dated 3/26/02 6:13:59 AM, darkroom@ix.netcom.com writes:

<< The need for lawyers (in a grand sense) is because of the, in my opinion,
over complexity of our laws.  This need is, in a large sense, self made,
since, for the most part, lawyers write the laws.  Unlike the need for
doctors, who do not make up the illnesses.  I am in no way suggesting that
lawyers can't and don't serve a very useful function...but the need is WAY
to overbearing, in my opinion.  A somewhat intelligent person should be able
to take care of %99 of the legal issues one needs to take care of.>>

Well, in one sense, lawyers exist because the theory is that it's better to 
go to court and battle rather than to beat the crap out of each other on the 
streets.  

In a previous life cycle I used to practice law.  I got out because I 
realized there were better things to do with my life rather than to deal with 
angry people.

A few cynical observations:

People hate lawyers until they need one.

If people learned to deal with others in a respectful manner, then a huge 
percentage of cases would never hit the courts.  Case in point--family law.  
Folks would often times prefer to spend the family's assets in the form of 
lawyer fees rather than to divide it equitably at the outset.

Yes, the laws are ridiculously complex, obfuscating (lawyer word) simple 
understanding by lay people.  Many laws started with a simple concept (i.e. 
equal rights, freedom from injury by others) but become increasingly complex 
because people disagree with those concepts, sue, and attempt to narrow or 
influence the laws.    Laws and legal forms are often complex because the 
folks on the other side (non-lawyers) are intentionally trying to pull one 
over on the other party.  To say so in plain English makes it harder, thus 
they hire (their lawyers) to make plain English into legalese gibberish.

Lawyers exist because when (like on the LUG) disagreements break out, simple 
intelligence as well as compassion and understanding give way to ego, power, 
and pettiness.  Maybe if we can reinvent the human animal then the need for 
lawyers as well as cops and trauma centers might be reduced.

 
<<If there weren't so many personal injury lawyers looking for personal injury
cases, I don't believe there would be so many personal injury cases.  Some
personal injury cases are entirely legitimate, but a large number of the
ones I hear about (and know first hand) are just absurd, and would not go
anywhere unless some unscrupulous lawyer got involved.  The sad part is,
these lawyers get companies to pay up, though their claims are a joke,
because the cost of litigating, and the POTENTIAL for large awards is there.

This was in no way meant to offend anyone, but is simply my personal view on
the subject.>>

Personal injury cases exist because people drive drunk and crash into others, 
people own vicious dogs that attack other people, people make tires that 
blow-out, cars that blow-up on minor impact and dump toxic chemicals and junk 
into the water that other people are attempting to drink.  In short, people 
do irresponsible things that hurt other people.  We have criminal laws that 
punish folks for doing such actions, why is wanting to be financially 
compensated any crazier?   You really want to reduce the number of personal 
injury lawyers?  Then start rewiring people who think it's okay to do these 
kind of things--rewire people so these acts aren't done in the first place.

The bizarro cases everyone talks about make the news because they're bizarro 
and because they are kept in the public eye because they often serve the 
needs of special interest, think-tank lobby groups who are trying to sway 
public opinion for their own purposes (generally profit).  


In the old days, lawyers were at the top of a very short list of hated 
professions.  If one looks around you can see that the list is getting pretty 
crowded....

Business executives like Enron folks who screw over shareholders and 
employees, and the state of California,
Accounting executives and workers who help doctor the books,
HMO-Insurance executives, (ruined the health care profession),
Catholic Priests, (too much sex not enough confessions)
Doctors, (more time on the golf course, 15 minute appointments and no 
housecalls)
Politicians, (say no more)
Plumbers (charge too much),
College Professors (damn liberals),

Pretty much the only groups excluded from hated professionals right now are 
those in the armed services, FDNY and sex industry workers.

Am I defending lawyers?  Not really.  I'm merely pointing out that before any 
one person starts to get full of themselves on how one profession acts more 
ethically than others, for folks to look in the mirror and ask themselves how 
much are they, or have they contributed to the current system they dislike, 
and how much they are willing to do, to change society in a way that so that 
all citizens are respectful of the rights of other citizens--and thus reduce 
the need for lawyers in the first place.



- -kim


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Replies: Reply from Henning Wulff <henningw@archiphoto.com> (Re: [Leica] Uh.... earth to wannabe lawyers)
Reply from Javier Perez <summarex@yahoo.com> (Re: [Leica] Uh.... earth to wannabe lawyers)