The Best things in Life are free but you can give them to the birds & bees...

Once I saw one of the partners for my Firm on television arguing a case before the Federal Circuit. He was clear, well spoken, sincere--everything you want in your lawyer if you are fighting the good fight. He was leading the charge for the oppressed. Righting the wrongs of the world. It was great. I was proud to be associated with this place even in such a meaningless capacity.

For the last few months, I've been reviewing documents from an attorney formerly at this Firm. Let me say they are overwhelmingly disappointing. It's not just that he was unethical, unscrupulous, evil, and untrustworthy but that this was common knowledge at the Firm when they hired him. What's more, the righteous partner I watched on television was the same employee who brought this ethical void into the Firm in the first place. They did fire him eventually but not until he had made the Firm a great deal of money. They didn't fire him because of his work ethic (oxymoronic as it may have been) but instead because they feared that his behavior was catching up with him and thus, with the Firm. Time to git while the gitting was good.

Listen to the sound of my bubble bursting (mini-pop). Money grubbing attorneys? Laziness in the face of work requirements? Self-important little men randomly accusing others of the deeds they themselves are guilty of? Skipping out on responsibilities and blaming staff? No, not an episode of Boston Legal. It's real life at Big Law. Sad. I do believe there is a Karma bus out there. It's driving around running down some and bringing others to where they deserve to be. But this Firm continues to be healthy, wealthy and a growing Blob of "show me the money." Why did I assume good lawyers are good people? What I am learning is that those with no moral compass make the best lawyers. Its 'sincerity-for-hire'. Money may not be the root of all evil but it certainly is the root of all legal work.