Lyon Hotels

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Divorce Law

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Industrial Pollution

Very nice blog. It is very helpful. http://www.bignews.com

Very nice blog. It is very helpful. http://www.bignews.com

You’re always so much more reasonable over at this weblog!  I’ll look forward to your fuller take on the issues. 
Just one thought for now:  The American public does not appear to think that sole practitioners are more likely to engage in theft than the legal elite at BIGLaw firms.  If they thought about it at all, though, they might think the small frys are more likely to steal from their own clients — as opposed to white shoe lawyers being more likely to help rich guys steal from plain folk or other rich guys.

And one more thought:  If law students haven’t considered small-firm practice, it is their own, small-minded, weak-willed, snobbish, status-seeking fault.  There is far too much in print about the many facets of law practice, and the many varieties of small-firm life, for me to feel sorry for the purposely myopic or congenitally moronic.

You’re always so much more reasonable over at this weblog!  I’ll look forward to your fuller take on the issues. 
Just one thought for now:  The American public does not appear to think that sole practitioners are more likely to engage in theft than the legal elite at BIGLaw firms.  If they thought about it at all, though, they might think the small frys are more likely to steal from their own clients — as opposed to white shoe lawyers being more likely to help rich guys steal from plain folk or other rich guys.

And one more thought:  If law students haven’t considered small-firm practice, it is their own, small-minded, weak-willed, snobbish, status-seeking fault.  There is far too much in print about the many facets of law practice, and the many varieties of small-firm life, for me to feel sorry for the purposely myopic or congenitally moronic.

David: Thanks for the heads up here. I will post to my site later this evening but in the meantime, here are some quick comments. There are two matters that irk me about reports about solos being most likely to steal. First, these reports ignore misconduct of Enron lawyers who kept quiet while their clients engaged in unsavory deals to inflate stock value, thus triggering legislation like Sarbanes Oxley and related SEC regulations. Yet in spite of the fact that these problems of attorney dishonesty and oversight were pervasive enough to launch legislation, no one says that biglaw attorneys are dishonest or more inclined to steal. Second – and the larger problem in my view, is that all of the bar’s criticisms of solo attorneys are really counter-productive. When you portray the solo as a dishevelled, disorganized middle-aged male in a crumpled suit, barely paying the bills and siphoning money from little old ladies, it doesn’t do much to attract qualified lawyers to the solo and small firm lifestyle. Law students at the US News Top Schools (for what that’s worth) don’t even have solo or small firm practice on their radar screen either immediately – or as a future option – because the bar gives such a poor impression of what solo practice is like. Most dissatisfied law firm associates either leave the law entirely or go to government or public interest positions; few contemplate solo practice because they’ve been indoctrinated at law school, their law firms and the bar to look down on solo and small firm lawyers. And when the solo/small firm bar can’t attract some of the better attorneys, there’s no hope of improvement. As I said, I will be posting at my site later.

David: Thanks for the heads up here. I will post to my site later this evening but in the meantime, here are some quick comments. There are two matters that irk me about reports about solos being most likely to steal. First, these reports ignore misconduct of Enron lawyers who kept quiet while their clients engaged in unsavory deals to inflate stock value, thus triggering legislation like Sarbanes Oxley and related SEC regulations. Yet in spite of the fact that these problems of attorney dishonesty and oversight were pervasive enough to launch legislation, no one says that biglaw attorneys are dishonest or more inclined to steal. Second – and the larger problem in my view, is that all of the bar’s criticisms of solo attorneys are really counter-productive. When you portray the solo as a dishevelled, disorganized middle-aged male in a crumpled suit, barely paying the bills and siphoning money from little old ladies, it doesn’t do much to attract qualified lawyers to the solo and small firm lifestyle. Law students at the US News Top Schools (for what that’s worth) don’t even have solo or small firm practice on their radar screen either immediately – or as a future option – because the bar gives such a poor impression of what solo practice is like. Most dissatisfied law firm associates either leave the law entirely or go to government or public interest positions; few contemplate solo practice because they’ve been indoctrinated at law school, their law firms and the bar to look down on solo and small firm lawyers. And when the solo/small firm bar can’t attract some of the better attorneys, there’s no hope of improvement. As I said, I will be posting at my site later.