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I hear that lawyers are not very well-liked. At least, ATL and TLS tell me so.

My question to others my senior: is this really the case? It hasn't been my experience so far. People I know have been nothing but encouraging of my decision to attend law school, and my fb post announcing my acceptance to a T14 got more likes than anything else I've ever posted. Even my hipster friends seem to be supportive, although who knows what they say behind my back.

So is this whole "people hate lawyers" thing a myth? Or do I just run with an unusually lawyer-friendly crowd?

Most people I interact with have a positive reaction when I tell them I'm an attorney.

I'm going to law school so I can threaten suit when the local pizza place gives me too few toppings on my pizzas. HTH

t-14orbust wrote:I'm going to law school so I can threaten suit when the local pizza place gives me too few toppings on my pizzas. HTH

Personally, my moment of realization was when a restaurant tried not to honor my friends' Groupon, and I couldn't stop myself from yelling OBJECTION!

I think people like THEIR lawyers and THEIR lawyer friends

but people hate OTHER lawyers

Nova wrote:I think people like THEIR lawyers and THEIR lawyer friends

but people hate OTHER lawyers

Pretty much this.

Also, OP, good job subtly throwing in T14 in an attempt to humblebrag/avoid people telling you not to go to law school.

















Don't go to law school.

You shouldn't worry about how much non-lawyers hate lawyers as much as you should worry about you hating other lawyers once you're a lawyer.

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:You shouldn't worry about how much non-lawyers hate lawyers as much as you should worry about you hating other lawyers once you're a lawyer.

Or, in the less distant future, how much as a law student you will hate other law students.

I disagree that people hate lawyers; in my experience it's an old wives tail.


The exception is personal injury lawyers; everyone seems to buy into the idea that personal injury lawyers just hang out and file frivolous lawsuits nonstop.

.

I think most people hate corporate lawyers. They're generally pussies and bill hourly. AKA, they just fucking tie shit up for the sake of an extra buck with basically zero skin in the game. With litigators, I think, people recognize that there's immense pressure to actually win (as opposed to "not lose or fuck up"), and they have a truly unique skillset of manipulating judges, writing, etc --and especially so with trial counsel.

That's just my experience from listening to family members in business have to deal with phone calls with them at least -- like, constantly telling them, "the chacne of this happening is ZERO --we know we won't do that, and you're costing us $50k in business a day, or whatever. "Well, sir, we really feel strongly this is an important clause to include!! Gotta just wait on opposing counsel to approve this in 3 days."

holdencaulfield wrote:I disagree that people hate lawyers; in my experience it's an old wives tail.


The exception is personal injury lawyers; everyone seems to buy into the idea that personal injury lawyers just hang out and file frivolous lawsuits nonstop.

Is it an "old wives tail" though? Is it?

What about the self-loathing?

A smart friend of mine today told me she thought lawyers simply wrote things in such a way as to make them readable only by other lawyers, therefore making money off of those who needed to know what they said but couldn't read them.

Hey, it's a business.

Why do I personally hate lawyers? In a strictly moral sense, I hate them in the way Socrates hated sophists. It a real world way, I hate them because they take all of my money.

Why do I want to become one? Because I'm not so concerned with morality as I am with writing and taking money.

People just hate the other lawyer. In practically every situation you hire a lawyer there is an opposing counsel trying to put you in jail, give all of your possessions to your future ex-wife, make you liable for thousands of dollars of damages, and the list goes on. Everyone hates the opposing counsel on the other side who is obviously lying, cheating, and manipulating the facts to screw them, because people always find a way to see themselves as the "good guy" in every situation.

And when that isn't the case, you're paying them thousands of dollars to draft extremely wordy documents that even most lawyers have a difficult time reading.

But as long as you're just the lawyer who answers random criminal law questions at dinner parties you will be of great amusement to your friends.

Danger Zone wrote:

holdencaulfield wrote:I disagree that people hate lawyers; in my experience it's an old wives tail.


The exception is personal injury lawyers; everyone seems to buy into the idea that personal injury lawyers just hang out and file frivolous lawsuits nonstop.

Is it an "old wives tail" though? Is it?

I'm not sure your poll is measuring what you think it's measuring. Thinking an occupation contributes to society ≠ liking that profession. Try this poll (it's more on point): http://www.gallup.com/poll/149216/Ameri ... Worst.aspx

At least we beat banking, healthcare, O&G, and real estate.

I think criminal lawyers on both sides get hated a lot, too. Criminal defense probably more than prosecution (there are people on this site who hate criminal defense lawyers), but prosecutors aren't exactly popular with everyone, either.

(I think telling people you've got in to/are going to law school is very different than dealing with people as a lawyer.)

Hipster but Athletic wrote:I think most people hate corporate lawyers.

I doubt most people have had enough exposure to corporate lawyets to have formed an opinion about them.

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:You shouldn't worry about how much non-lawyers hate lawyers as much as you should worry about you hating other lawyers once you're a lawyer.

Or about you hating yourself once you become a lawyer.

heythatslife wrote:

Hipster but Athletic wrote:I think most people hate corporate lawyers.

I doubt most people have had enough exposure to corporate lawyets to have formed an opinion about them.

People automatically hate anything with the title "corporate" in it.

I hate this thread.

Kafkaesquire wrote:A smart friend of mine today told me she thought lawyers simply wrote things in such a way as to make them readable only by other lawyers, therefore making money off of those who needed to know what they said but couldn't read them.

Hey, it's a business.

Why do I personally hate lawyers? In a strictly moral sense, I hate them in the way Socrates hated sophists. It a real world way, I hate them because they take all of my money.

Why do I want to become one? Because I'm not so concerned with morality as I am with writing and taking money.

I get the feeling that it's this particular attitude that people hate in lawyers -- and pretty much this only. I know this is the kind of bullshit that I hate in lawyers anyone.

heythatslife wrote:

Hipster but Athletic wrote:I think most people hate corporate lawyers.

I doubt most people have had enough exposure to corporate lawyets to have formed an opinion about them.

Idk. Like your general counsel dweebs constantly telling you your project is forbidden?

zhenders wrote:

Kafkaesquire wrote:A smart friend of mine today told me she thought lawyers simply wrote things in such a way as to make them readable only by other lawyers, therefore making money off of those who needed to know what they said but couldn't read them.

Hey, it's a business.

Why do I personally hate lawyers? In a strictly moral sense, I hate them in the way Socrates hated sophists. It a real world way, I hate them because they take all of my money.

Why do I want to become one? Because I'm not so concerned with morality as I am with writing and taking money.

I get the feeling that it's this particular attitude that people hate in lawyers -- and pretty much this only. I know this is the kind of bullshit that I hate in lawyers anyone.

Enlighten us all, Socrates.