THE LAWYER AS ORATOR
A sensitive subject
The advocate (attorney; lawyer) as orator is a sensitive subject. Many clients will have listened with curled toes or alternatively with a deep feeling of embarrassment to their own advocate or (if they are lucky) to that of their counterparty at the moment suprême when the so-carefully prepared written summary of the argument is read out dryly and stumbling over the words or at least in a scarcely inspiring manner. And the one who has bad luck will be faced with a ‘read-out advocate‘ who sometimes does even thirty or more pages. And all this whereas the first Roman …
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ON THE IMAGE OF LAWYERS
Bloodsuckers and hypocrites?
Lawyers (attorneys) are often exposed to strong criticism, both here and elsewhere. The late famous Dutch professor A. Pitlo (Evolutie in het privaatrecht, [Evolution in private law] Groningen: H.D. Tjeenk Willink 1972, p. 102) speaks with regard to certain advocates (lawyers) about the ‘half-intellect’ that by intellectualism must succeed in being kept up towards the masses.
Publications that are extremely critical of advocates can date from any time and the first ones already from before ancient Rome. In this connection François Rabelais (1494-1553) should also be mentioned and (more or less in his footsteps) Honoré Daumier (1808-1879). …
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THE LAWYER AS CRAFTSMAN
Tradition and resourcefulness
You could hear these statements just about anywhere: “The study of law is a dull study. You have to read a lot of books and especially learn a lot by heart. But luckily it is not a difficult study. It is more or less the easiest study to graduate in.” Is all this true? It depends and it depends particularly on yourself. For ‘marginalists’ and notorious ‘superficial thinkers’ all this is more or less at a premium. But it is questionable whether these are the people who have the right qualities to practice the craftsmanlike profession of …
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