“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” – Shakespeare
“There is no shortage of lawyers in Washington, DC. In fact, there may be more lawyers than people.”
— Sandra Day O’Connor
It makes sense that there would be a lot of lawyers operating the Judicial branch. But are we dealing with an Attorney Overpopulation Problem in our legislative and executive branches of the federal government?
Anti-attorney sentiment is not new:
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”
— (Henry VI, Act IV, Scene II, by William Shakespeare).
The 112 Congress, seated in 2011, includes 202 attorneys out of 535 members in the House. That’s about 37% of the body. Slightly more than 1/3 of the House of Representatives is a lawyer. One out of every three. (Is it any wonder these people love to write 3,000-page laws? Is it any wonder that normal people can’t read them or understand what’s in them?)
And that’s not actually very “representative.” Lawyers make up 0.36% of the U.S. population at large. About one third of one percent. One out of every 300.
That makes me wonder. Which of these presidential candidates (or presumed candidates) are lawyers?
Barack Hussein Obama – Lawyer (but not a Muslim)
Herman Cain – Not A Lawyer (CEO, talk radio host)
Newt Gingrich – Not A Lawyer (historian/professor)
Gary Johnson – Not A Lawyer (entrepreneur)
Sarah Palin – Not A Lawyer (TV commentator/commercial fisher)
Ron Paul – Not A Lawyer (OB/GYN, author)
Tim Pawlenty – Lawyer
Mittens Romney – Lawyer
Hmmm. Anyone besides me seeing a pattern here?
Does it matter that lawyers are 100 times more prevalent in the House of Representatives than in the population they are supposed to represent?
What’s your take on this?
© 2011, Kathleen Gee. All rights reserved.
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Hi folks. Part of the problem within the legal system (nuisance lawsuits, trolling lawsuits and who can forget the 2:00 A.M. tv ads for asbestos) is the fact that there are far too many lawyers right now and not nearly enough real legal work. As a result, you have law firms formed to offer copywrite infringement suits free to newspapers which severly limit the right of bloggers to re-publish (even with accreditation) news stories, you have the above mentioned tv ads that having exhausted all the miners are now going after veterans who may have served on ships more then 20 years ago that had asbestos on them.
Half the law schools/faculties in the country should be closed (leaving open in each state a population proportionate number) and the remainder accept applicants based only on merit and ability. Make sure that a ethics test is part of the entrance requirements and that a course on the constitution, it's history and it's importance to maintaining freedom is mandatory in the first year.
Tort reform is critical to a reformation but I suspect that won't happen until the GOP has a supermajority in both houses and a GOP President who isn't a lawyer.
Contempt and deliberate disregard for the rule of law is rampant in the world, particularly (and ironically) among lawyers. I believe Shakespeare would've started with Eric Holder, based on his DoJ's deliberate derailing of the NBP voter intimidation case.
Right with you on this. But from a certain point of view, you gotta feel sorry for all those lawyers … what else would they think but that, being lawyers, their main purpose in life is to write laws? I don't agree with that, but you can see how they might think that way. Who is there in the law schools disabusing them of that notion? I agree with scr_north that there are too many lawyers and that's why we see the explosion in "exploitation law." And reptiles like Gloria Allred. Remember the company lawyer in "Aliens" heh heh.
Perhaps attorneys should not be allowed to run for Federal elected office due to conflict of interest. After all, the laws they "write" more often than not do not apply to POTUS, Congress and SCOTUS, only to the rest of us, e.g., the "little" people.
My dad has been screaming this for YEARS. At least 20. If you're a lawyer, you shouldn't be allowed to MAKE the laws.
Bravo for your dad! Thanks for the reply.
I think one problem is it seems/appears that lawyers are not conversant with the concepts of morality, justice, and ethics. And that comment is meant with sincerity. I have hd several acquaintances who in 2nd or 3rd careers became lawyers, nd the devolution in character was pronounced. It is very clear they began to equate what is legally permissible to that which is proper.
Thank you guys. I know this is a pro-Sarah Palin site, and I respect that. I come here in peace.
There are just some misconceptions that have been voiced about Dr. Paul (not only an OB/GYN who has delivered over 4,000 babies) but he is an Austrian economist, http://www.ronpaul.com/books/
and a Real Conservative.
________________________
Real Conservative vs. Neo-Con http://tinyurl.com/3s44a8l
GREAT chart I print out to show constituents the hijacking of the Republican party by the neocons and how we want to restore it to TRUE conservative values.
Note: This chart is generally correct. Some points need further explanation. For example, it is not isolationism to reject military intervention in foreign countries that pose no danger to the United States. Ron's policy is the SAME as that of our Founders: peace, commerce, and friendly relations with all nations, entangling alliances with none (i.e. NO preemptive wars).
That policy served us quite well before Woodrow Wilson threw it all away to serve his lust for power.
Under his administration the Federal Reserve and the income tax was created. And now we are all slaves to the banksters.
Heads up Kevin. More glories of Hope And Change.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/20…
One of the bad things about the 2,000-page laws is that they don't really state a "law" as many of us would think of them (i.e. "go ye forth and do this, refrain from that"). They just provide a rough guideline for establishment of regulations by the various executive branch departments, administrations, bureaus, and so forth. That's where much of the mischief occurs, in the departmental regulations published as implementation of the laws passed. And that's where a lot of stuff that would never pass Congressional muster (because the voting public would be up in arms) gets put into force. OSHA anyone? EPA? Department of Education? HHS?
contempt for most lawyers except this one – Marco Rubio – very humble public servant at Ave Maria University Law School commencement[youtube aHyBo7JLl5c&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHyBo7JLl5c&feature=player_embedded youtube]
"In fact, there may be more lawyers than people.” — Sandra Day O’Connor
The way she accidentally phrased this implies lawyers are not people. Heh.
Let's go back to the Founding Fathers…
Washington was a surveyor, farmer, and part-time soldier.
Jefferson was trained as an attorney, but was so disgusted that he never practiced law, farming instead.
Franklin was a printer, diplomat, and the founder of electrical engineering.
Madison was a lawyer – but with Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin watching, could not indulge in legalistic mischief.
Draw your own conclusions.
John Adams, who is probably the father of the country, proudly defined himself as a lawyer. In fact he represented the Boston Massacre defendants, even though they were enemy British soldiers. It isn't surprising or alarming that the number of lawyers in Congress or any statehouse is disproportionate to the rest of the population. Lawyers are trained in law. Congress is where laws are made. Anybody besides me see a pattern here?
That wasn’t the pattern I was making note of. I was noticing that only lawyers get the stamp of approval from the Mainstream Media.
Kathleen – point well taken. I don't know if the MSM loves attnys any more than anyone else. I think the pattern they display is their penchant for wanting to dictate which cucumber sandwich republican we get to run against their demigod, Obama. They want to guarantee a loss for any opponent of the One. So their principal mission will be one of clearing the field for Mittens or someone like him, and will do whatever it takes to push Cain or Palin to the curb. If Palin was a lawyer they would do it just the same.
Thing about that quote is, Shakespeare used it ironically to poke fun at mob mentality (a favorite theme of his.) The character who said the "kill all the lawyers" line was a follower of Jack Cade, who Shakespeare presents as (what we would call) a wealth-distributing Progressive who makes all kinds of crazy and impossible-to-keep promises to his followers (sounds like a certain POTUS!)
It's a great quote, but I just wanted to offer the context in which it was used in the play, so those who use it can be forewarned in case you are challenged by a Bard fan.