This is why I want to be a lawyer

[siglite]

You don't need to be a lawyer to push a political cause. Law school gives you no magic insight into these matters.

This is exactly right. State legiscritters are surprisingly accessible (for the most part). You can start lobbying for these issues right now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next legislative session, but right now. Get on the web, find your state critters, find the committee leadership, find the legislative leadership, and start dialing. Start setting up meetings. I can't help but be a bit cliche here, but Just Do It.

 

[jakemccoy]

You don't need to be a lawyer to make a change. If you think you do, you'll be sorely disappointed when you finally become a lawyer and see that your bar license doesn't come with super powers.

EDIT...

I posted that before reading the thread. I now see that others have said almost exactly the same thing.

 

[RPCVYemen]

Many businesses are scared to give homosexuals bad reviews or fire them for doing things that they would fire heterosexual employees for, because they are scared of the political clout of the gay lobby.

Just for the record, I work for a Fortune 500 company that has "domestic partner" benefits, etc. I never heard anything about reverse discrimination if favor of gays or lesbians at my company.

I'm happy my company has those policies. My sexual orientation is none of my co-workers' business! Why would I care about some other employee's sexual orientation?

The only person whose sexual orientation is my concern is my wife. My life would get complicated in a hurry if her orientation changed.

I could only wish my company was as enlightened about guns as they are about sexual orientation!

In general, I agree with your post, but I don't like the hint of gay bashing I hear in the implication of reverse discrimination in favor of gays and lesbians.

Mike

 

[Owen Sparks]

I thought you were going to say:

"So that I can use the threat of expensive litigation to extort money from businesses and keep a third of the loot for myself."

Isn't that why most people go to law school?

 

[Louisiana Carry]

In regards to the several posts about lawyers not having special powers, that's not true. I do lobby in my State (see link in my sig that matches my screen name). However, when someone gets arrested for, say, open carrying- even though it is perfectly legal- you have to pass the bar to sue the municipality that runs the department that effected the arrest. Hitting them in the pocketbooks is necessary, because they already disregard the law.

 

[Cosmoline]

Edit--I see what you were talking about now.

 

[Louisiana Carry]

If I am going to sue on behalf of someone else, even if it weren't required, I would dang well like some training, in order to do the best job possible.

 

[Blackbeard]

Lawyers may change the legal landscape, but entertainment changes the national consciousness. We would not be where we are today in terms of gay rights were it not for the entertainment industry. How many gay characters were on TV during the 80s? I can't think of any. Through the 90s we saw more and more gay characters not as objects of ridicule or derision but as ordinary people with the same emotions as the rest of us.

Now, how many characters in any TV series today own a gun?

I'm not trying to talk you out of being a lawyer. I'm just saying we need screenwriters and producers too.

 

[Louisiana Carry]

I have thought about that several times. Someone else is going to have to pick up that slack, though.

 

[jakemccoy]

.........................

 

[ranger335v]

I once thought of going to law school to become an attorney. But, the school's guidance counsler told me I didn't qualify right after he learned my parents had been married.

 

[Louisiana Carry]

*snort!*

 

[jakemccoy]

Louisiana wrote,

In regards to the several posts about lawyers not having special powers, that's not true. I do lobby in my State (see link in my sig that matches my screen name). However, when someone gets arrested for, say, open carrying- even though it is perfectly legal- you have to pass the bar to sue the municipality that runs the department that effected the arrest. Hitting them in the pocketbooks is necessary, because they already disregard the law.

I said lawyers don't have "super powers". You have to be a semantics geek if you want to be a good lawyer.

Of course lawyers have certain special powers. However, can lawyers affect change anymore than a motivated citizen without a bar license? I don't think so.

I've been practicing for 8 years now. I actually know too much sometimes. In other words, I know what's "impossible". That's not a good thing, especially when you're trying to change the system for the better.

To change the system, you must boldly do what you and only a few other people know is possible. For your own good, I'm warning you that a legal training will all but beat the vigor out of you to take on "impossible" tasks.

You'll start appreciating the art of negotiation as a first resort. Be perfectly clear that if you really want to change the system, negotiation is a last resort.

If you do become a lawyer, just make sure to try to keep some of that innocence. If you figure out how, let me know.

 

[Louisiana Carry]

Not sure why you moved your post, Jake. I wasn't trying to ignore you. I only had a moment to stop by, and I didn't have time to type a long post (still don't). There were several gun bills introduced yesterday in the LA legislature and I am composing an LA ALERT to send out to the Louisiana Carry email list. I will be back to discuss this more later, sorry.

 

[Saturnine]

We need a firearm pride parade, where we can all march carrying our favorite pieces.

 

[.cheese.]

Not Perry Mason, not Matlock... you talking about El Tejon?

Nope. I'm talking about me in 3 years.