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February 19, 2005
What's Best About Being A Lawyer?
Evan Schaeffer of Notes from the (Legal) Underground recently asked his readers,
“What do you like best about being a lawyer?” Some of you may be surprised to learn he got many many responses (42 at the time of this posting), and the question started tangential discussions on a number of blogs, which he
lists here. The best best thing about being a lawyer obviously comes from “Conan”:
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women! 
Oh, and this is also good, from “Mike”:
Seeing people harassed by the powerful pisses me off. The law generally allows you to sue someone hurting others.
It feels good keeping someone out of prison.
It's contest living -- Winning feels good.
Ability and effort matter -- Lawyers who work to improve generally see tangible results. For me, this matters most of all. I would hate knowing that in 20-years, I would be at the same level of competence as I am now. Lawyers who establish a routine remain routine lawyers. Lawyers who seek excellence achieve it.
There is a lot of independence -- Clients give directives and you must follow the court rules, but within those broad confines, you can roam freely. I could never work a job where someone was always looking over my shoulder.
There's none of that Marxist alienation crap -- The lawyer's product is his own. It's not created using assembly line tactics.
Second to science, the law is the best way to put a productive mind to good use. A big lawsuit (even if the plaintiffs only win coupons) can end a lot of aggravation and cure much injustice.
See the above links for more serious (and facetious) takes on the subject. Great reading for the next time you're asking yourself, “why the heck am I doing all of this crap!?”
Posted by mowabb at February 19, 2005 10:51 AM
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