Lawyers are among the most reviled of our fellow citizens.
In my theater and I suspect yours too, the audience burst into laughter and cheers. This started out as a simple disclaimer, a warning that they should not expect certain types of professional know-how from me. But though it may have begun as a caveat, it soon turned into an applause line. To understand the ABA's official wisdom on why lawyers are unpopular, you must first understand what its wisdom does not hold. According to the ABA view, the prevailing low regard for lawyers has nothing whatsoever to do with the public's having noticed and reacted against any misconduct or hubris or overreaching by the legal profession or the legal system itself.