There's a new trend now. Clients and other ignorant folk used to be hatin' on the PDs by insinuating that we were not real attorneys (um, if I'm a fake attorney, are my law school loans and bar review loans fake too? Because that would totally ROCK... no more payments on those 'fake' loans! haha!)
Recently, however, I've encountered a new development. It's happened enough that I just have to rant. The conversation goes something like this.
Fake attorney [me]: I see you have an open case. That was pretty recent. Who represents you on that case?
Client: No one.
Me: Well, someone represented you.
Client: No, I didn't have a lawyer.
Me: Yes you did.
Client: No, I didn't.
Me: Yes you did.
Client: No, I didn't have no attorney, I'm telling you!
Me: Ok. So let me get this straight. On the last court date, you were in this courtroom, right?
Client: Yeah.
Me: And you went out in front of the judge, right?
Client: Yeah.
Me: You saw the judge, yes?
Client: Yeah.
Me: And when you saw the judge, there was someone standing next to you, right?
Client. Yeah.
Me: And that was the same person who was speaking to you in your cell just like I am now, right?
Client: Yeah, yeah. But that wasn't a lawyer, that was a public defender.
So I've gone from being not a 'real' lawyer to not being a lawyer at all. Didn't have a lawyer? YOU DIDN'T HAVE A LAWYER? Who do you think got you out of jail just in time for you to get your ass arrested again?
Didn't have a lawyer. Hmph.
4 comments:
Heh, I'm sure he's just to greatful to really express his gratitude.
You should have said,
"Well then, if I'm not a lawyer.. then you sure don't want me representing you since I never went to law school or anything."
Been there. Heard that so many times over the last six years that it is not funny.
Early in my career I was a PD for a year...that was over 25 years ago. The cases came so fast it was like trying to get a drink from a fire hose! Of the 100s & 100s of cases I handled I can only recall a small handful of clients who ever said thanks...they seemed to think the PD was just another part of the system out to get them.
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