Comments on: Is money the only thing that motivate lawyers?

By: Edward Thompson

Edward Thompson — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:24:29 +0000

Greg Barns is impressed by Greg Barns pro bono work… News at 11

By: AR

AR — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:36:50 +0000

Interesting that not a single brief gave pro bono help to the Customs whistleblower, despite numerous applications, still trudging through the bill wielders after 4 years.

By: Harvey Tarvydas

Harvey Tarvydas — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:14:08 +0000

Dr Harvey M Tarvydas

Charity is a giving experience rather than a profit experience but a non-monetary profit indirectly does not take away from the giving experience but provides the necessary human motivation that creates the charity initiative.
Charity advertised is something else and at best a profit and giving experience. Its better than not doing charity at all.
Charity is rarely 100% anonymously done but it means at least no advertising and when close to 100% anonymously done it is a special giving experience still personally profiting the giver with goodness which has no price.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:48:26 +0000

My pro bono (mere legal agent status) land use case confirms to me the racket that involves lawyers pulling their fees against the flow of real evidence. Stay tuned on that front.

My problem really is that when I watched Rumpole it was like family life with father as a lawyer and another brother also. Consequently going to law school was no mystique or status, rather more of the same. Where indeed was that highway of diamonds Bob Dylan used to sing about? Well it was well smothered hidden in 4th year jurisprudence - the theory of what law if for. Making money obviously, or enhance the social contract depending on your motives - like good fences make good neighbours.

In my experience the majority of lawyers - a serious majority lack moral fibre. On the other hand (!) Mandela, Gandhi … lawyers who gave the game away.

By: meski

meski — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:50:13 +0000

How anonymous can it be? Aren’t court records public, as far as this sort of thing goes?

Secondly, what percentage of the public can afford to have a lawyer defend them in court?

By: Gail Tuft

Gail Tuft — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:36:37 +0000

The large numbers of people appearing on criminal charges with absolutely no legal representation is disturbing. With law and order campaigns routinely used by state governments in response to third rate media beat ups and scare campaigns this is a great concern. I suspect many people carrying criminal records and suffering all the penalties involved have had a fairly raw deal, particularly at magistrate court level. Law and order rarely has anything to do with justice.

Lawyers do some excellent work, but there simply aren’t enough legal services available to those with the greatest need.

By: Stevo the Working Twistie

Stevo the Working Twistie — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:18:27 +0000

Money, sex or prestige. These are the only reasons the majority of humans do anything at all, unless they happen to be a Jesus of Nazareth or a Mahatma Gandhi. I work because I need the money - not much sex or prestige being a working twistie. I suspect my comrades in the legal profession take on pro bono work for a variety of reasons, but even where those reasons appear selfless, there will be “profit” of some sort in it - applause, enhanced reputation or self-satisfaction.

You get to be a bit cynical in the working twistie industry.

By: Bro Sheffield-Brotherton

Bro Sheffield-Brotherton — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:11:47 +0000

Peter Faris writes: “And a word to all my critics. Any pro bono work that I do, I do anonymously.”

What a wonderfully anonymous self-outing!