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March 06, 2006
The Emotional Lawyer
In February’s ABA Journal, a columnist recalls the first time he saw a lawyer cry. He was in a Midwestern town where 12 local attorneys and a few judges had come together to discuss the ups and downs of practicing law. You see, the lawyer was... well, I’ll let the author take over from here before picking it up at the end.
Graying and in his mid-50s, John was a litigator, highly regarded in legal circles and in the larger community as well.
Unlike his colleagues at the gathering, he told the group a story- of something that happened during his earliest days in practice.
It concerned a child who had been institutionalized for behavioral problems and after many months was desperate to go home. His parents were ready to have him back, so John was hired to handle the legalities. He did so, he recalled, with great passion and commitment.
But then he turned inward, as he described the moment when the child was reunited with his parents: “He was so excited, so emotional,” John recalled. “He asked me, ‘Do you mean I really get to go home?’ I told him, ‘Yes, that’s right,’ and he smiled and said, ‘You are the greatest lawyer in the whole world.’”
(This is where I take over.) John broke down in tears before he could tell the rest of the story.
One of the local judges tried to comfort John by putting his arm around his shoulders. “Are you crying because it was at that moment that you realized how much good can be done using the law?”
“No,” John replied, barely regaining his composure. “I’m crying because later that night the boy slaughtered his entire family with a sledgehammer.”
“My God!” the judge exclaimed. “That’s terrible!" He paused for a moment, wanting to choose his words wisely. "You know, you really had no way of knowing. You can't blame yourself.”
“Oh, I don't!” John stuttered. The tears resumed rolling from his eyes. “It's just that... that... that the dad was supposed to pay my fee the next day. That little bastard cost me $20,000.”
Comments
Are you KIDDING me?
Wow. Just when I'm starting to think that the law is filled with less assholes... *sigh* Back to denial. :)
Posted by: The BLS at March 6, 2006 11:52 AM
Ahh...priceless. I hope he sued the estate.
Posted by: The Attractive Nuisance at March 6, 2006 08:17 PM
Uh oh - lest you misunderstand. The indented text is actually from the ABA article. The text following that is my warped vision of what WOULD have made for a great story! Guess I shouldn't try to get a job at Disney.
Posted by: Fool at March 6, 2006 08:23 PM
That clarification does make the ABA's story more heartwarming, though less funny.
Posted by: The Attractive Nuisance at March 6, 2006 10:50 PM
I think the original needed to be punched up a little bit. Thanks Fool.
Posted by: thenambypamby at March 7, 2006 12:48 PM
