To say that lawyers do not have the greatest reputation in our culture is kind of an understatement. Everyone knows that Shakespeare line about killing them all; they’re compared to leeches, sharks, and weasels; and the character of Lionel Hutz didn’t do them any damn favours.
Maybe it’s about time lawyers started fighting against society’s prejudices. But sitting lawyer-dissers down, one-on-one, and explaining why they chose the law in the first place (probably something about helping people, right?) would be very time-consuming. And as soon as the lawyer-disser got an eyeful of the lawyer’s jewel-encrusted Rolex, any protestations about the social good might get laughed straight out the door.
A more efficient way of reclaiming lawyers’ dignity is to reclaim the slurs that have been flung at lawyers for generations. No, not “leech.” Or “shark,” or “weasel.” And maybe not “generations,” exactly — let’s focus on the slurs that date from the advent of either the ambulance, or the personal-injury suit.
Lawyers, don’t let the jerks you know denigrate you by calling an ambulance chaser any more! Call yourself an ambulance chaser before they even get the chance. Maybe the time it takes them to think of a new insult will shut them up for a little while.
