Do lawyers really suck? I mean, we all seem to hate them, but why is that? Between my divorce, subsequent custody battles, and bankruptcy, I have had more than my share of exposure to the legal system. Mariah got me thinking about it this week when they had a mock trial in her class, based on the events of the book The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton.
Our whole lives, we are led to believe that there are clear cut definitions of right and wrong. If we do wrong, we get punished, if we do right, we get rewarded. But this isn't really how it works in the legal system. In court, it isn't about being right, its about making the most compelling argument to the court, using the tools at hand. This goes against everything our parents and teachers and after-school specials told us, which is probably why most of us hate dealing with lawyers and the legal system.
In order to be a successful lawyer, a person must suspend their childish notion of right and wrong, and accept that they are working in a system with a set of rules. The one who makes best use of those rules, wins the case. It doesn't make them right, it just makes them win.
So what's a layperson like you and me to do when we are forced to deal with the legal system? First, forget about what's right and what's wrong. That isn't relevant anymore. Look at your objective, and figure out what you need to do to get it. Second, don't think that your lawyer has a vested interest in your case. Your lawyer has lots of cases, and while you may think that this is about what is right and wrong, lawyers cannot afford to think this way. They are just doing their jobs, trying to make the most compelling argument to the court to win the case.
You don't have to like it, but since its the system we have, just try to make the best of it.
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