Monday, August 28, 2006

from fake to nonexistent

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:

That Guy said...

Heh, I'm sure he's just to greatful to really express his gratitude.

Jen said...

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."

Daniel Partain said...

Been there. Heard that so many times over the last six years that it is not funny.

Anonymous said...

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.