I agree. Just that you can use your valid points to appropriate to that guy (I didn't watch the clip).
I think the lawyer in the video said he was retained by the family. If so, he's not doing it pro bono, though he may be defending for a reduced fee or on the modest government stipend allotted if the client is indigent.
Most people are not how you described yourself and your peers.
I'd agree. Outside of doctors, there's no profession that I know of that routinely gives as much free labor for the public good as lawyers do. The Bar doesn't require it, but they do keep track and our journal lists the lawyers and firms that donated their efforts each year. I was always happy to see a pretty deep list each time they summed it.
There are good and bad in all walks. People just hate on lawyers because they assume they make a lot of money?
The average lawyer makes in the neighborhood of a hundred grand a year. The scramblers from poor schools without connections probably make half that. The better and better connected make significantly more and I know personal injury lawyers who make millions. If you go into representation of the poor you're going to make school teacher wages that won't touch your debt load, so you won't be able to do it for more than five or ten years, but it's rewarding as heck.
So it's a mixed bag, but on average they do better than most people. And they have real power within the system. That combination doesn't invite public sympathy. I only gave you a shot across the bow because a) everyone works for money, so why would it be a shame for lawyers? and b) unlike most everyone else, we give our labor away to help people, regularly. And the biggest firms are always among those participating.
I wish I had an ability to become a trial lawyer. I think that would be fun and rewarding.
It's not Law and Order. Trial work is mostly procedure and negotiating. When it's not it's a lot of strategy and work getting ready for the trial that likely won't come because the weaker side will almost always play the late hour card and take the best available deal on the table. When you actually do go to trial and have to romance a jury it's interesting. Mostly it's motion filing and negotiations while you wade through a sea of postponements and resets.
Anyways, you know what I mean. We can't trust anyone that does anything to be competent at any given moment. Sometimes people, doctors, lawyers, others get distracted in life. I think people should always give others the grace to do their job without judging them. And then try to bs them into liking me so they'll not get distracted and want to help!
:chuckle: It's a plan.