Thank goodness for my StatCounter Keyword Analysis page — it reminded me
that August 31st is “Love Litigating Lawyers Day.” It seems that Evan Schaeffer
and Beldar are too humble to bring up the topic. Even Overlawyered.com has
overlooked it, as has How Appealling.
Last March, I wrote a post describing my unsuccessful search for Hug a Lawyer 
Day or a Lawyer Appreciation Day. The closest I could find was today’s designation
of Love Litigating Lawyers Day, which is mentioned on a couple of Celebrations Lists.
Although our post is the #1 Google results for queries like lawyer appreciatin day>,
I’m sorry to say that I have no additional details about how the day is celebrated or who
sponsors it (of course, I have my suspicions).
update: See “we all missed Be Kind to Lawyers Day on April 8” (April 15, 2008)
The best I can do — in true Prof. Yabut and skepticalEsq fashion — is to collect a few
of my favorite quotations about litigation and trials, for you edification.
Let’s start with some observations from Abraham Lincoln’s notes to law
students:
“Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever
you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser —
in fees, expenses, and waste of time. As a peacemaker the lawyer has
a superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.”
“Never stir up litigation. A worse man can scarcely be found than one who does
this. Who can be more nearly a fiend than he who habitually overhauls the register
of deeds in search of defects in titles, whereon to stir up strife, and put money in
his pocket? A moral tone ought to be infused into the profession which should
drive such men out of it.”
If that’s too serious, here’s a bunch from Poetic Justice, edited by Jonathan and Andrew
Roth (Nolo Press, 1994):
As a litigant, I should dread a lawsuit beyond almost anything else short
of sickness and death.
— Judge Learned Hand
The houses of lawyers are roofed with the skins of litigants.
- -Welsh proverb
A lawsuit is a fruit-tree planted in a lawyer’s garden. 
— Italian proverb
The lawyer’s prayer: God grant that disputes may arise that I may live.
— Spanish proverb
May you have a lawsuit in which you know you are right.
— Spanish Gypsy curse
Lawyer: A fellow who is willing to go out and spend your last cent to
prove her’s right.
- Anonymous
Finally, the always-insightful Gore Vidal has noted:
For certain people after fifty, litigation takes the place of sex.
If you prefer cartoons, here’s a goodie from Wiley and one with Lawyer Snoopy.
For those who want something meatier to chew on, go to the ABA webpage on
Choosing Mediation Over Litigation. If you’re one of those lost souls who fears
there just isn’t enough litigation in America, we suggest checking out our Dec.
2003 post Are There Really Too Few Trials?
When you’re finished celebrating litigators today, don’t
forget that Aug. 31st is also National Box Car Day,
Trail Mix Day, Eat Outside Day and Mutt’s Day.
clear and cold
the snap
of her attorney’s briefcase
Ed Markowski
tagging along
with an ice cream cone
the senior partner
long deposition–
the lawyer’s
“at the risk of repeating myself”
Barry George
afterthought (3 PM): To no one’s surprise, the f/k/a gang thinks we 
need a Love a Lawyer-Poet Day. Until one is launched, the closest
thing might be owning your very own copy of Off the Record: an anthology
of poetry by lawyers, 28 Legal Studies Forum (No. 1 & 2, 2004), which
is described here, or its sequel, Legal Studies Forum XXIX:1 (2005), described
here. They look like law journals, but they contain food for the soul –
and reason to celebrate every day, whether you’re litigating or not.
litigation bags –
the associate’s
half-closed eyes
[Aug. 31, 2005]
postscript (4 PM): You may recall that I did some unseemly begging at this website
last week and convinced Evan Schaeffer to send me a Legal Underground coffee mug.
It arrived this afternoon (lovingly packaged) and I’m just finishing my first cup of coffee
from the mug. Thanks again, Evan. Do you think this will turn a retired mediator into
a swashbuckling litigator?
potluck
