Why Does Everybody Hate Lawyers?

Hi, I’m Danny Karon, your Lovable Lawyer here with your quick shot of legal wellness.

Hey, why does everybody hate lawyers? Is it because they think we’re loud and opinionated and obnoxious? Well first, I hope you don’t feel that way about me, and second, I honestly don’t know a lot of lawyers who are like that. Instead, I know a lot more non-lawyers who are like that. So why then does this caricature exist where we’re all painted with the same broad and ugly brush? Where does it come from? I can’t tell you. I don’t know. But I can tell you this: folks who work with lawyers, folks in the know, they love their lawyers. Think about it. Let’s say you’re getting divorced; you love your divorce lawyer; she’s going to help save your life. Let’s say God forbid you’re in an auto accident; you love your personal injury lawyer; he’s going to help save your life. You see the theme here is that lawyers aren’t the problem-makers that some people make us out to be. And if we’re not, then what are we? Well let me answer that with a quick story. This goes back about 20 years. I was in the kitchen at my house, my wife was dressing me down, I was losing another argument in typical dramatic fashion and she storms out victorious leaving me in shambles. I feel a tug on my pant leg. I take a look down. It’s my little daughter, Jillian, who’s about five years old at the time. She says to me, “hey dad, listen. I know why you’re such a good lawyer.” I’m thinking, “what the heck did you just see to suggest that I’m a good lawyer, but you know what, I’m hooked. Why do you think that?” and she says, “because you’re such a good fighter.” And I thought about that for a second. I knelt down and I looked her in the eye and I said, “Listen, honey, if you ask me, being a good lawyer doesn’t mean being a good fighter. Being a good lawyer means being a good problem solver because solving people’s problems is a privilege that we lawyers have every day – to make people’s lives better.” And, a person like that is not someone you should hate. That’s someone you should hire.

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