At Above the Law, David Lat is trying out a new concept for his dedicated fans, almost all of whom are either students on law review determined to land that Biglaw job of their dreams, or young associates determined to keep that Biglaw job of their dreams. In a public service of sorts, Lat has started a series on “small law,” meaning the practice areas that the inconsequential people practice, like personal injury, real estate, and, oh, criminal.
Aside from his use of an ambulance in the post, the point of which flies right over my head, here’s Lat’s promotion of Personal Injury Law:
Aside from his use of an ambulance in the post, the point of which flies right over my head, here’s Lat’s promotion of Personal Injury Law:
But is personal injury getting a bad rap? If you’re a successful PI lawyer, you can make a fortune — all while standing up for “the little guy,” by vindicating the rights of the injured. See, e.g., John Edwards; Philip Corboy (recently honored by his alma mater, Loyola – Chicago, after making a major gift).Here’s an open thread on personal injury law. Please share information, in the comments, about PI work — what it entails, your hours, your pay, opportunities for advancement, etc. Thanks.
P.S. One of our favorite fellow legal bloggers is a personal injury lawyer: Eric Turkewitz, of the New York Personal Injury Law Blog.
So in its favor is . . . money? And Turkewitz, who is indeed a walking advertisement for PI, but then we can’t all be the Turk.
But Lat’s somewhat lackluster support for PI law is nothing compared with the thoughts of his readers, I use the word “thoughts” in its broadest sense. My favorite is comment 30 :
But Lat’s somewhat lackluster support for PI law is nothing compared with the thoughts of his readers, I use the word “thoughts” in its broadest sense. My favorite is comment 30 :
I went to a top 10 law school. Why on earth would I want to use my expensive law degree to do something that anyone can do?
But other prefer comment 11 :
And just so we’re clear, I would be curious to know whether anyone who commented on the post at ATL thinks they can try a case, or whether they think they’ll win because they have the biggest mouth when commenting anonymously.
Although working in personal injury would allow an aspiring lawyer to accrue mass wealth (unlikely, considering that they are in personal injury as a result of working insufficiently hard earlier in life), it is not worth the metamorphosis into a parasite that would result from said work.The problem here, by the way, isn’t Lat’s facial snarkiness about the subject of “small law.” He’s actually trying, within the confines of his audience. The problem here is the attitude of the audience. Think about this the next time a wave of Biglaw layoffs roll around and some of their refugees get hungry enough to ask for a job.
Incidentally, I do covetable legal work at my father’s preeminent peer law firm.
And just so we’re clear, I would be curious to know whether anyone who commented on the post at ATL thinks they can try a case, or whether they think they’ll win because they have the biggest mouth when commenting anonymously.
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When I got out of law school, I clerked for a federal judge. One of the things I quickly discovered is that much of the work coming out of the fancyass firms was, how can I put this politely?, drek. They could do terrific work. They just mostly didn’t bother.
Their basic position: We’re ____, ____ & ____. Therefore, we win.
I knew a solo who practiced oil & gas law against the Big Boys. Won far more cases than he probably should have. “You don’t have to be great to do that,” he said, “not even really really good. If you’re just journeyman good and work hard, you’ll whip them.”
A lawyer I occasionally work for loves litigating and BigLaw. “It’s like taking candy from a baby,” he says. It’s true. BigLaw people can’t talk to juries. Of course, they keep blaming “dumb juries” when they lose.
The unwashed PI lawyers I know all attend lectures and CLEs taught by PhDs about juror communication. The idiot PI lawyers actually learn something after law school. BigFirm guys, knowing it all, just complain about how tired they are of having to “dumb things down.” Meanwhile, they lose the big cases.
Perhaps there is a lesson to learn? Nah. Those idiot jurors…You can’t trust ’em.
Not certain how I got “trapped” into your blog today Scott, but I really should go outside and read in the sunshine! But first . . . I graduated in the top 10% of my “top tier” (albiet lower rung of the top tier) law school. I wanted to try cases. And I was (THEN, mind you) still a “rebel.” I took a job at a two-person plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm. My professors were AGHAST!!! Arrrgghhhhh! I was RUINING my life and my career as was one of the study-buddies (also in the top 10%) who took a job with MERDE!!! the PUBLIC DEFENDERS’ OFFICE. What a disappointment we were to my alma mater. I’m not telling my WHOLE LEGAL CAREER on YOUR blog! (aren’t you glad for that?) Let me just say this: it was not my Coif membership that got me a job in BigLaw when I tired of the contingency fee life (REALLY, not a gambler NOR a rebel; wanted a paycheck). It was, natch, the fact that I’d TRIED CASES TO JURIES which most of the “litigation” PARTNERS had never done (and many of the associates had only “second chaired” depositions — a bizarre concept to me at the time). And it’s true, as Jeff Gamso writes, a big law firm is a GREAT PLACE for incompetent lawyers to hang out. Eventually they’re found out and let go and there are many many many great lawyers in BigLaw. But I was the same lawyer at BigLaw as I had been in the Sacramento law firm of Blackman & Blackman at the beginning of my career and I continue to believe the better lawyer for it the rest of my professional life. Cheers! to SmallLaw.
I don’t know why I’ve been so graced today, but I hope you spend time here everyday. It’s been a pleasure hearing from you.
Thank YOU for your gracious hospitality!