"Greedy lawyers" to blame for global financial crisis?

lostinrates

tomterm8 wrote: »

There are lots of different types of judges, some of whom are not lawyers (i.e. some magistrates, heads of some tribunerals, officers in the Financial Ombudsman Service who exercise a judicial jurisdiction). Some of them ARE lawyers, in which case we can consider them a special case of lawyers (lawyers hired by the state, whose responsibility is to efficiently decide legal questions according to law ).

Gotcha, thank you I was thinking more literally of 'Judges':o

ninky_2

so wouldn't it be better to have industry caps rather than ones negociated by clients.

i find the impact of nowinnofee scary and depressing.

what are the changes to who can own law firms and what effect is / will it have?

you are right to point out that there are different areas of law and law workers. i don't know that much about it but it's good to have the insight of someone with firsthand experience.

(i'm not a good detail person, rather someone who goes for the bigger philosophical impact, as you may have noticed)

ninky_2

tomterm8 wrote: »

Maybe the real question you are asking is, what should be the purpose of the law? .

yes you are right. but i think how individuals operate (and are free to operate) within this is all part of it.

lostinrates

ninky wrote: »

so wouldn't it be better to have industry caps rather than ones negociated by clients.

IMO, no. For a start, I think you'd encourage poor practise, I think people at the bottom of the industry would suffer, and I think it would be poor for the law, as much or more as the lawyers, and therefore for the people. And, as I say, at the top end its an international, not national, market.

i find the impact of nowinnofee scary and depressing.

In most cases, me too. I can be argued to see a point to it, but I think that we need it is a poor reflection on society...but also an acceptance that the pot is not bottomless.

what are the changes to who can own law firms and what effect is / will it have?

The clue is, as FC123 likes to point out!, its refered to as Tesco Law.

you are right to point out that there are different areas of law and law workers. i don't know that much about it but it's good to have the insight of someone with firsthand experience.
No, apart from clerking, very second hand. I'm a good solicitors wife, not a lawyer myself. Lots of DH's family are lawyers (in fact they are all either lawyers or academics.)

(i'm not a good detail person, rather someone who goes for the bigger philosophical impact, as you may have noticed)

The other, possibly minor point is that lots of the bigger firms do comunity pro bono work. DH was influenced to work for his firm by the amount of pro bono work he could do. With tighter overheads, and capped fees a lot of charitable causes would not receive this ''non-essential'' skilled and very expensive access to top lawyers. Some of it is legal work, some is in, e.g.inner city schools. Its not world changing, but it does give kids opportunity to see that these glass tower other world people are human, and they will answer questions, read applications, etc etc. Its not always a very focused thing, I know in particular DHs firm have been trying to improve not just how much they do but how effective it is, but it is sincerely done. I think to stop this would help increase social divide, just a tiny bit, but a tiny bit more that can be avoided. When things were a bit quiter youner NQs and trainees who might have more freetime were channeled into more pro bono stuff.

ETA: sorry about typos today, I realise they are worse than usual.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Perculiar Camweed Pixies to blame for Global Financial Crisis.

lostinrates

ninky, this might interest you:

http://www.thelawyer.com/legal-news.html

ETA: news today includes some (among them respected/City eg Freshfields and Shearman) firms are staring to cut or freeze salaries.

bendix

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Perculiar Camweed Pixies to blame for Global Financial Crisis.

Well-meaning Liberals to blame for Global Financial Crisis


I work for one of these evil international corporate law firms. We spend all our time charging ridiculously high fees to cash rich corporations to help their fat cat employees and shareholders become even richer.

And long may it continue . . . .

Doing legal work for little people? Good grief. What would be the point. We leave that little law firms which employ people who wear Primark suits and come to work with egg stains on the 3 for £5 nylon ties.

mewbie_2

If ever there was a thread that needed NDG's input this one is it.

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

Is she still "Missing, presumed disinterested"?

mewbie_2

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax wrote: »

Is she still "Missing, presumed disinterested"?

Last Activity: 07-02-2009 12:59 PM