legal professionals

[Betsy]

OK...I love this thread.

I used to be an English teacher and have now worked for a law firm for 11 years.

My observations:
All lawyers have egos....it is the ego that is their edge.

Some have a God complex, or see themselves as the center of the universe.

Female lawyers seem to be more vicious than male lawyers. Females are more vicious to other females.

Family Law is THEE worst area...divorce is NEVER over.

Clients can and will lie....repeatedly.

There are a lot of stupid people out there and they need representation.

Opposing Counsel likes to up the retainer...they write letters/faxes just so they can bill their client.

If you are a paralegal or legal assistant practice the "Three Evil Monkeys" when speaking or dealing with the Opposing Counsel...."hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil"....in other words, CYA because they want to nail your ass to the wall.

Never take what the courthouse clerks tell you as gospel.

When working at a law firm, always know that when the mud gets to slinging, innocent bystanders, such as myself, can and will get hit....numerous times....so duck...and try not to take it personally.

My own co-workers (lawyers) can and will take it out on me, if they are losing or have F'ked up.

Always keep a paper trail so they can't blame the mistake on me.

Female lawyers get hungry faster and more often than male ones. They will volunteer you to go pick up their lunch and can and will stiff you on the bill.

Always know that the baby lawyers will come to you and ask you to do their work for them. After you do the research they will take the credit and will bill for it.

Baby lawyers are lazy and whine. The best way to deal with them is to throw a bottle in their room and shut the door, hoping that they will lay down and take a nap, thereby leaving me alone.

Collections.....everyone gets their turn....we get on the phone and try to collect accounts....we affectionately call it "Dialing for Dollars." The firm's strategy is that if we don't collect, then nobody gets paid....so we all have to make those calls.

I now work for the the lawyer, who practices wills, estates and probate. (Behind his back we call him KING OF THE DEAD.)

One of my favorite cases was the guy who wanted to renew his Power of Attorney over his brother. (His brother died two years ago. So he bascially wanted a POA....for a dead body...)

One final note...Jazzy....I agree 100% with what you observe...and I loved reading your posts. Thank God I am not alone....