Love Litigating Lawyers Day

By Diane Forrest,

When I checked the assignment sheet for today I had to laugh!  I just knew the boss was playing some sort of weird joke on me.   You see...today is Love Litigating Lawyers Day, formerly known as Lawyer Appreciation Day.  Strange as it might seem, I had alot of trouble researching this topic.  I found countless lawyer jokes, none of them loving though.  There were many horror stories, but none showing appreciation.  In 1993 the first Lawyer Appreciation Day was held, however, the turnout was not favorable.

In order to love litigating lawyers, you must first know what a litigating lawyer is.  A litigating attorney is one who sees a law suit through the court process.  While some attorneys prefer to settle out of court,, others practice Criminal law,  litigators focus exclusively on law suits.

Litigators usually practice in personal injury cases.  These cases take a long time, and are very detailed.  Most work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they don't get paid unless they win your case.  If they win, then they get a percentage anywhere between 25 to 45%.  If a lawyer takes your case, they are pretty certain they can win and award in your favor.  The reason I found this topic so amusing is because for the past 15 years my husband and I have had to deal with several attorneys over his worker's compensation injury.  But, that is another story for another day.

While researching this topic, I found several Lawyer jokes, which made me think lawyers are not well loved.  However there are some lawyers who have claimed public affections.  Some of these include:

• Perry Mason
• Matlock
• Ally McBeal

Television shows such as:

• Law and Order, Criminal Intent, and Special Victims
• The Practice
• Boston Legal
• Jag
• Judging Amy

Movies such as:

• A few good Men
• My Cousin Vinny
• The Lincoln Lawyer
• The Firm
• The Rainmaker
• A Time to Kill

Of course these are just a small few, and there are new ones out all the time.  The truth is, while lawyers may not be loved, when you find yourself in trouble, they are good to have on your side.  So while you may not love a litigating lawyer today, try to muster up a little “Like” for them.

That might be a stretch...

Thanks Diane