“welchSummerMoonlight38”
Click here to see the full-color photo and poem.
summer moonlight
the potter’s wheel
slows
beach parking lot —
where the car door opened
a small pile of sand
“welchSeal32”
Click here to see the full-color photo and poem.
From Open Window – an online collection of paired haiku and photographs by Michael Dylan Welch.
Sadly, bar advocates (assigned counsel) in Massachusetts are continuing their unlawful and unethical collective boycott. Click here to see ethicalEsq’s letter to the editor.
District Court Chief Justice Lynda Connolly told the Boston Herald, “It is disturbing to me that the attorneys would put their personal interests in terms of compensation ahead of the interests of their clients.”
There’s heartening news from Prof. Bainbridge, quoting Andy Bowers at Slate — at 6000+ pounds, many SUVs are illegal on many residential streets. [no emoticon needed nor intended]
David:
I have to admit that I’m coming around to your way of thinking on this. Certainly, these lawyers are grossly underpaid, but the collaborative efforts to stop work violate the law. I think that part of the problem is that too many lawyers have become too dependent on court appointed work. Some would see this as a positive phenomenon – that lawyers can focus on mastering criminal law. But with this dependence comes pressure to take more cases than one can handle to the detriment of clients – or to boycott to protest fees. These attorneys’ time would probably be better spent on marketing efforts to find higher paying billable work so that they aren’t stuck in this situation.
Comment by Carolyn Elefant — August 6, 2004 @ 11:56 am
David:
I have to admit that I’m coming around to your way of thinking on this. Certainly, these lawyers are grossly underpaid, but the collaborative efforts to stop work violate the law. I think that part of the problem is that too many lawyers have become too dependent on court appointed work. Some would see this as a positive phenomenon – that lawyers can focus on mastering criminal law. But with this dependence comes pressure to take more cases than one can handle to the detriment of clients – or to boycott to protest fees. These attorneys’ time would probably be better spent on marketing efforts to find higher paying billable work so that they aren’t stuck in this situation.
Comment by Carolyn Elefant — August 6, 2004 @ 11:56 am
I agree. Too large a diet of assigned counsel cases can lead to indigestion and perhaps starvation.
On the otherhand, if representing the indigent is done out of either a sense of responsibility OR to fill in empty hours on a lawyer’s schedule, the “it won’t pay my overhead argument” is irrelevant. It will surely pay marginal costs, since overhead stays basically the same. [Also, the numbers they use for lawyer overhead relate to medium and small firms nationwide. Many assigned counsel have far lower overhead.]
Comment by David Giacalone — August 6, 2004 @ 12:57 pm
I agree. Too large a diet of assigned counsel cases can lead to indigestion and perhaps starvation.
On the otherhand, if representing the indigent is done out of either a sense of responsibility OR to fill in empty hours on a lawyer’s schedule, the “it won’t pay my overhead argument” is irrelevant. It will surely pay marginal costs, since overhead stays basically the same. [Also, the numbers they use for lawyer overhead relate to medium and small firms nationwide. Many assigned counsel have far lower overhead.]
Comment by David Giacalone — August 6, 2004 @ 12:57 pm