Heard any good lawyer jokes lately? Here’s one:
Q: Why did God make snakes just before lawyers?
A: To practice.
All fooling aside, I have a new appreciation for the justice system these days. There, when a person is accused of a crime, it is required of the system (the court) that he/she have an advocate. The advocate’s sole responsibility is to look after the best interests of the accused.
Q: Why won’t sharks attack lawyers?
A: Professional courtesy.
It is not the advocate’s job to determine guilt or innocence; that’s for the judge and/or jury.
Q: What do you have when a lawyer is buried up to his neck in sand?
A: Not enough sand.
It is not the advocate’s job to be liked or appreciated.
Q: What’s the difference between a dead dog in the road and a dead lawyer in the road?
A: There are skid marks in front of the dog.
The one task – the one focus – of the advocate is to stand in the gap for the accused.
When popular culture collides with the legal system, advocates get a bum rap. These attorneys are portrayed as ruthless, win-at-all-cost scoundrels who will do anything to get the defendant off, guilty or not.
Exactly.
Q: Why is going to a meeting of the Bar Association like going into a bait shop?
A: Because of the abundance of suckers, leeches, insects, and nightcrawlers.
So why the appreciation for advocates? Because I know what it’s like to need and not have one. My guess is, you do too. Have you ever sat defenseless outside a closed door while somebody else made decisions affecting you?
For those who trust and follow Christ, however, the story doesn’t end there. Even when we have no advocate in the board room, the committee or wherever, we have an Advocate nonetheless. Check this out: [click to continue…]
A few years ago, my friend Rick was on a plane loaded to the wing flaps with hazardous cargo.
