UNIONIZE! - As previously mentioned back in June, we've naturally got to wondering who sticks up for lawyers since the whole Bar v. Blog thing got rolling. Judges are protected by Chief Judges, or in many cases by the ultra-secret agents over at the JQC, while good lawyers often are attacked by the Bar. Conversely, there isn't any constitutional officer or official body to protect attorneys' interests that anyone can think of.
A statewide media watchdog like JAABLOG is certainly a good idea, but it would have to be part of a greater whole. Essentially, a Lawyer's Labor Union must be formed, with the sole interest of protecting the working attorney's rights.
It's not a new idea. The ABA Journal ran a story back in 2009, complete with links to scholarly articles discussing the issues. Mostly concerned with tortured associates' rights vis a vis the big firm partners they work for, the general principle makes a lot of sense on a broader scale too.
If only half of Florida's nearly 97,000 licensed lawyers ponied up a hundred bucks, the union would have an operating budget of close to five million dollars. That's peanuts when compared to judicial or Bar budgets, but more than enough to earn us all a lot of respect. As more lawyers join, and factoring in the advertising revenue from a statewide blog like the one you're reading, more money would roll in.
What's in it for the attorney?
Lots of things we don't have now.
For a start, think about bar complaints. An organized labor union could protect lawyers from the Bar, and the judges they work for. You get a lawyer who practices Bar defense to tell them to stick it, or work out a fair deal if you really did screw up. The entirely flawed bar discipline process could also be improved and changed, since aggregated lawyers would have tremendous political influence and litigation resources.
Having trouble with the Partner or elected official you call "Boss"? Feel like you're being exploited, ripped off, or targeted for termination? Enter your local union rep to make things better. Collective bargaining and everything else unions do would be on our side, not to mention the weight of a very large and prominent voting block when dealing with a politician. And oh yeah, can anyone say "Strike"?
You wouldn't have to be afraid of bad judges anymore either. They would finally be held accountable, no matter how well they present in the condos at election time. The previously mentioned voting block and corresponding endorsement power is one important aspect. Another is the ability of non-lawyer union reps to tell the truth in the media and on the campaign trail, without the fear of judicially sponsored Bar reprisals. Additionally, union funds, or "war chests", could be utilized to back experienced lawyers to run lousy or lazy judges off the bench. And the union could file JQC complaints when needed, so you wouldn't have to be in the line of fire.** All in all a severely powerful potion could be brewed, likely resulting in judges quickly correcting aberrational behavior.
Let's not forget about the badly broken JNC process either. You wouldn't have to be up somebody's keester or related to a sitting judge or local powerbroker to don a robe any longer. The statewide political muscle represented by a lawyers' union would certainly be attractive to a Governor, and likely to trump the relatively low level local fundraising efforts that for some often leads to influencing who will win the judicial lottery. Welcome back, meritocracy.
Sure, there are pitfalls to watch out for, like union leaders growing too powerful. No one wants a "meet the new boss/same as the old boss" routine going down, that's for sure. But in a day and age when patronage, nepotism, and the failed drug war have done so much damage to the quality and integrity of the judiciary, not to mention the utter failure of the Florida Bar to instill confidence in the general public's mind regarding the legal profession, it's more than apparent that something must change, and drastically. As attorney Clarence Darrow once said:
With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed. They have done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in men, than any other association of men.
It's time to unionize. Not only for the sake of lawyers, but for everybody else too ...
**Apparently the Bar may feel lawyers should go to the JQC with concerns over judicial conduct, instead of going public. If true, the Bar is even more out of touch with reality than anyone could have possibly imagined. But much more on that later ...
JA Catches Judge Fornicating With Bailiff? - Polk County is going off. Read all about a JA who filed a wrongful termination suit after allegedly getting canned for reporting an allegedly very chummy Polk County judge and bailiff. And check out Buddy Nevins here, who says Polk County police are also doing it absolutely EVERYWHERE. Unbuttoning ...
Coming Soon - Who is John Harkness, and Why?;Thomas D. Hall, Clerk of the Court at the Florida Supreme Court, misses out on a free trip to Broward ...
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SS: Howard Finkelstein Editorial
"Taxpayers are paying for yet another innocent man convicted under State Attorney Mike Satz’ watch. Frank Lee Smith died in prison before he was exonerated. He is another name on Broward County’s long shameful list of exonerees all prosecuted by Satz’ office. Something has been wrong in Broward for a long time. Broward leads the state in innocent men wrongfully convicted. And the man in charge the past 38 years has yet to say he was wrong or even apologize for destroying their lives. If Satz doesn’t recognize he was wrong, how will he stop it from happening again?" (emphasis added)
NORM KENT - FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS REAL NATIONAL SECURITY
Herald: Florida Supreme Court overturns Broward murderer’s death sentence
Lewis Tein Update and Bruce Rogow's $709,000 Fee
Mike Mayo on Perry Thurston's address, etc.
NYT: Jagger B-Day
"(Paul) Simon thinks the ’60s singers might be unique. “The ’60s had a lot of really talented people. All the bright kids wanted to do popular music. Within a decade or two, all the bright kids wanted to be directors,” he said ... "
(in your face, judges ... )
A statewide media watchdog like JAABLOG is certainly a good idea, but it would have to be part of a greater whole. Essentially, a Lawyer's Labor Union must be formed, with the sole interest of protecting the working attorney's rights.
It's not a new idea. The ABA Journal ran a story back in 2009, complete with links to scholarly articles discussing the issues. Mostly concerned with tortured associates' rights vis a vis the big firm partners they work for, the general principle makes a lot of sense on a broader scale too.
If only half of Florida's nearly 97,000 licensed lawyers ponied up a hundred bucks, the union would have an operating budget of close to five million dollars. That's peanuts when compared to judicial or Bar budgets, but more than enough to earn us all a lot of respect. As more lawyers join, and factoring in the advertising revenue from a statewide blog like the one you're reading, more money would roll in.
What's in it for the attorney?
Lots of things we don't have now.
For a start, think about bar complaints. An organized labor union could protect lawyers from the Bar, and the judges they work for. You get a lawyer who practices Bar defense to tell them to stick it, or work out a fair deal if you really did screw up. The entirely flawed bar discipline process could also be improved and changed, since aggregated lawyers would have tremendous political influence and litigation resources.
Having trouble with the Partner or elected official you call "Boss"? Feel like you're being exploited, ripped off, or targeted for termination? Enter your local union rep to make things better. Collective bargaining and everything else unions do would be on our side, not to mention the weight of a very large and prominent voting block when dealing with a politician. And oh yeah, can anyone say "Strike"?
You wouldn't have to be afraid of bad judges anymore either. They would finally be held accountable, no matter how well they present in the condos at election time. The previously mentioned voting block and corresponding endorsement power is one important aspect. Another is the ability of non-lawyer union reps to tell the truth in the media and on the campaign trail, without the fear of judicially sponsored Bar reprisals. Additionally, union funds, or "war chests", could be utilized to back experienced lawyers to run lousy or lazy judges off the bench. And the union could file JQC complaints when needed, so you wouldn't have to be in the line of fire.** All in all a severely powerful potion could be brewed, likely resulting in judges quickly correcting aberrational behavior.
Let's not forget about the badly broken JNC process either. You wouldn't have to be up somebody's keester or related to a sitting judge or local powerbroker to don a robe any longer. The statewide political muscle represented by a lawyers' union would certainly be attractive to a Governor, and likely to trump the relatively low level local fundraising efforts that for some often leads to influencing who will win the judicial lottery. Welcome back, meritocracy.
Sure, there are pitfalls to watch out for, like union leaders growing too powerful. No one wants a "meet the new boss/same as the old boss" routine going down, that's for sure. But in a day and age when patronage, nepotism, and the failed drug war have done so much damage to the quality and integrity of the judiciary, not to mention the utter failure of the Florida Bar to instill confidence in the general public's mind regarding the legal profession, it's more than apparent that something must change, and drastically. As attorney Clarence Darrow once said:
With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed. They have done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in men, than any other association of men.
It's time to unionize. Not only for the sake of lawyers, but for everybody else too ...
**Apparently the Bar may feel lawyers should go to the JQC with concerns over judicial conduct, instead of going public. If true, the Bar is even more out of touch with reality than anyone could have possibly imagined. But much more on that later ...
JA Catches Judge Fornicating With Bailiff? - Polk County is going off. Read all about a JA who filed a wrongful termination suit after allegedly getting canned for reporting an allegedly very chummy Polk County judge and bailiff. And check out Buddy Nevins here, who says Polk County police are also doing it absolutely EVERYWHERE. Unbuttoning ...
Coming Soon - Who is John Harkness, and Why?;Thomas D. Hall, Clerk of the Court at the Florida Supreme Court, misses out on a free trip to Broward ...
SS: Howard Finkelstein Editorial
"Taxpayers are paying for yet another innocent man convicted under State Attorney Mike Satz’ watch. Frank Lee Smith died in prison before he was exonerated. He is another name on Broward County’s long shameful list of exonerees all prosecuted by Satz’ office. Something has been wrong in Broward for a long time. Broward leads the state in innocent men wrongfully convicted. And the man in charge the past 38 years has yet to say he was wrong or even apologize for destroying their lives. If Satz doesn’t recognize he was wrong, how will he stop it from happening again?" (emphasis added)
NORM KENT - FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS REAL NATIONAL SECURITY
Herald: Florida Supreme Court overturns Broward murderer’s death sentence
Lewis Tein Update and Bruce Rogow's $709,000 Fee
Mike Mayo on Perry Thurston's address, etc.
NYT: Jagger B-Day
"(Paul) Simon thinks the ’60s singers might be unique. “The ’60s had a lot of really talented people. All the bright kids wanted to do popular music. Within a decade or two, all the bright kids wanted to be directors,” he said ... "
(in your face, judges ... )