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(Some Guy)   At this moment there exactly as many lawyers in America as there are people in prison. Coincidence? We report; you decide   (opinionjournal.com) divider line
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4691 clicks; posted to Main » on 23 Jun 2006 at 11:07 AM (16 years ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



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PembrokeRiseisPeople
2006-06-23 10:40:32 AM  
At this moment there exactly as many lawyers in America as there are people in prison.

I blame typos.

/not immune
//pot calling kettle black
 
jrodnewb
2006-06-23 11:10:38 AM  
time for lame lawyer jokes...

what do you call 1000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean...


no really...i don't know...can someone please tell me? i tried googling it...
 
SeenItAll
2006-06-23 11:11:29 AM  
Call me back when all the lawyers are the ones in prison.
 
atpgod
2006-06-23 11:11:32 AM  
Yes?
 
atpgod
2006-06-23 11:12:26 AM  
jrodnewb: no really...i don't know...can someone please tell me? i tried googling it...

...A good start.
 
OregonVet
2006-06-23 11:12:30 AM  
Yeah, like most of thos people didn't do anything really wrong. Like locking someone up for marijuana is really helping society.
 
I_C_Weener [TotalFark]
2006-06-23 11:13:04 AM  
SeenItAll
Call me back when all the lawyers are the ones in prison.

Ah, everyone feels that way...until they need a lawyer. At least I am successsful enough to tell people who voice that attitude to go hire Newbie Malpractice across the street.
 
JoeCowboy
2006-06-23 11:13:05 AM  
In other words, ass rapings have reached equilibrium.

JC
 
Sknyluv
2006-06-23 11:13:33 AM  
I won't speak for other generations ... but it seemed like every kid I graduated with who had no clue what to do after college decided to go to law school. Didn't matter if they wanted to study law or not. It was like they could either discover themeselves for awhile or go for the quick buck ... I guess money talks ... well after you pay back those loans.
 
Farkistani
2006-06-23 11:13:39 AM  
The US has the highest % of its population in prison than any other country in the world. Yes, including China.

/Land of the free my ass
 
WGC_CPhT
2006-06-23 11:13:55 AM  
Sweet. I wonder what their combined spoils--er, uh, I mean income is?

/wonders why our schools can't get the funding they need
//maybe lawyers should hold bake sales to raise money for their case
 
atpgod
2006-06-23 11:14:44 AM  
Farkistani: Yes, including China.

Doesn't China just execute people?
 
Clever Neologism
2006-06-23 11:15:42 AM  
Lawyers are one of those jobs that create their own demand. We wouldn't need lawyers if it weren't for lawyers.
 
pluerick
2006-06-23 11:15:43 AM  
Definition of "exactly" surrenders.
 
I_C_Weener [TotalFark]
2006-06-23 11:15:57 AM  
Farkistani
The US has the highest % of its population in prison than any other country in the world. Yes, including China.

/Land of the free my ass

Well, since you brought up China...we don't kill all of ours. We keep that to a minimum, so the jails can get a little crowded. Of course, you have a better solution to Ted Bundy, Mr. Deadbeat Dad, and Sally Lightfinger, right? I don't think a bullet for each is best, but you have your opinion.
 
Dr.Tune
2006-06-23 11:16:15 AM  
funny story...

I got called for jury duty and it was a classic slip-and-fall, sue the grocer thing. When the lawyers interviewed me and asked if I had any predetermined notins about this type of case, I told them that there is a finite amount of legitimate legal work to be done.

/I didn't get picked for the jury
 
rppp01a
2006-06-23 11:20:06 AM  
Well, since you brought up China...we don't kill all of ours. We keep that to a minimum, so the jails can get a little crowded.

I hear there is lots of room in Texas...

We shouldn't be comparing ourselves to China. Aren't they a communist regime?
 
mikeymay972
2006-06-23 11:20:47 AM  
meh, TFA is too long...

/ramblings of a bitter teacher do not equal good time spent
 
madgonad [OhFark]
2006-06-23 11:21:25 AM  
Clever Neologism: Lawyers are one of those jobs that create their own demand. We wouldn't need lawyers if it weren't for lawyers.


Same thing applies to soldiers.
 
stevenc925
2006-06-23 11:22:14 AM  
I thought there were 2.4 lawyers for every person in America.
 
Detour
2006-06-23 11:22:50 AM  
Intellectual lawyers are the lowest form of life ever to exist in the Cosmos.
 
unicornrider
2006-06-23 11:23:10 AM  
"premature retirement", where do I sign up?

/so tired of working for a living.
 
MooseBayou
2006-06-23 11:23:40 AM  
That can't be right.
 
I_C_Weener [TotalFark]
2006-06-23 11:24:07 AM  
stevenc925
I thought there were 2.4 lawyers for every person in America.

Thats only if you divide billable hours recorded by housrs lived by enitre population. Double billing makes the world go round. Triple billing makes you a Partner.
 
bride_of_adam_cole
2006-06-23 11:25:33 AM  
I don't understand why everyone hates lawyers so much. I do see how so many can be out there though. I think half of my friends are in or just finished law school.
 
pluerick
2006-06-23 11:29:34 AM  
I_C_Weener Well, since you brought up China...we don't kill all of ours. We keep that to a minimum, so the jails can get a little crowded. Of course, you have a better solution to Ted Bundy, Mr. Deadbeat Dad, and Sally Lightfinger, right? I don't think a bullet for each is best, but you have your opinion.

Yea, we keep it to a minimum... 'Cept our presidents favorite state.

"Please...don't kill me!" - George W Bush mocking what Karla Faye Tucker said when asked, just before her execution, 'What would you say to Governor Bush?' Talk, September 1999
 
snickersnots
2006-06-23 11:29:40 AM  
Farkistani
The US has the highest % of its population in prison than any other country in the world.

The US also affords its citizens the greatest freedom of any other country in the world. The tragic part is that many people choose to act irresponsibly. Maybe it would be nicer to have less crime and less criminals, but there would also be less freedom. I'll take the freedom.
 
Crocodile
2006-06-23 11:29:48 AM  
TFA says:
"Although growth has slowed since the 1960s and '70s, each year 40,000 new lawyers join a field that now totals one million, about the same size as the nation's state prison population." (bold added)

I've seen articles that indicate we have over 2 million incarcerated citizens here in the land of the free. The 1 million figure is just state prisons.
 
Any Pie Left
2006-06-23 11:32:18 AM  
I once read a statistic that said we graduate more new lawyers every year than the total number of lawyers in all of Japan.

We don't need more lawyers; we really need way more good JUDGES. Unfortunately, seems one's a prerequiste to being the other.
 
I_C_Weener [TotalFark]
2006-06-23 11:32:20 AM  
pluerick You could use some perspective.

snickersnots You, I agree with.
 
NakedApe
2006-06-23 11:34:08 AM  
If we give every prisoner their own lawyer everyone will be happy, right?
 
PembrokeRiseisPeople
2006-06-23 11:34:35 AM  
Has anybody taken into consideration the fact that people with law degrees (lawyers) do many more things than criminal defense and slip and fall? I doubt that even a simple majority of them "hang out a shingle" and practice law the way people imagine--appearing in court and chasing ambulances.

It's like comparing apples to steam engines.
 
Godfrey
2006-06-23 11:35:06 AM  
snickersnots: Maybe it would be nicer to have less crime and less criminals, but there would also be less freedom.

I'm not sure I see how that necessarily follows. If I choose to steal a car, how are Americans more free than if I choose not to?
 
Gunther
2006-06-23 11:35:20 AM  
snickersnots

Maybe it would be nicer to have less crime and less criminals, but there would also be less freedom. I'll take the freedom.

you are aware the reason for the high rate of Americans in prison is the unbelievably draconian drug laws we have, right?

how does that jibe with your whole "Americans are in jail because we're freer than everyone else" thing?
 
PembrokeRiseisPeople
2006-06-23 11:38:21 AM  
And...maybe a really good attorney keeps 100 people out of prison. Huh? Huh? Did you think of that?
 
The Philosopher
2006-06-23 11:39:41 AM  
snickersnots
The US also affords its citizens the greatest freedom of any other country in the world.

Bwahahahahah!

The tragic part is that many people choose to act irresponsibly. Maybe it would be nicer to have less crime and less criminals, but there would also be less freedom.

As if the content of US law has much to to with 'responsibility'.

I'll take the freedom.

And you'll take a bullet too, eventually.
 
Bad_Seed
2006-06-23 11:43:46 AM  
Farkistani

The US has the highest % of its population in prison than any other country in the world. Yes, including China.

It also has the highest number of lawyers per capita in the world. Cause and effect?
 
Rolks2
2006-06-23 11:45:50 AM  
JoeCowboy wins this thread.
 
Cyberdependent
2006-06-23 11:46:18 AM  
Great! Now he tells me this! Why couldn't I have read this article three years ago! I'm still making the $30k-somthing I made before law school, but now I have $80,000 in student loan debt!

I guess going to law school because I couldn't think of anything else to do wasn't such a great idea.
 
jules_siegel
2006-06-23 11:51:31 AM  
State prison, not all prisons. But this is Fark. Why try?
 
vegasj
2006-06-23 11:51:56 AM  
what do you toss a drowning lawyer ?

his partner.
 
Loki-L
2006-06-23 11:56:22 AM  
snickersnots

The US also affords its citizens the greatest freedom of any other country in the world. The tragic part is that many people choose to act irresponsibly. Maybe it would be nicer to have less crime and less criminals, but there would also be less freedom. I'll take the freedom.

Why is it then that many European countries for example have a incarceration rate that is actualy a whole order of magintude lower? Are you saying that Denmarks puts far fewer of its citizens behind bars because they have less freedom?

How can you call a country that has only about 1/20 of the worlds poulation but 1/4 of the worlds prisoners "Home Of The Free"? How can you say that you have more freedom when most of the prisoners in the US are behind bars for victim-less offenses many of which are not even considered crimes in some part of the world?
 
tarrant84
2006-06-23 11:57:37 AM  
I think it's a "thing" of lawyers to bemoan the profession as much as possible.

You can make money if you find the right area and if you're good. Yes, there are a lot of lawyers-- but there are not a lot of GOOD lawyers.
 
slowenberger
2006-06-23 12:00:50 PM  
I would like to see China's execution figures, but the U.S executes 66 people per year. More than Iran. Yes, I also know the US has a much higher population than Iran.

The incarceration rate is startling though. It's almost double that of restrictive Islamic regimes in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Compared to other industrialized nations like Germany, Holland, England, and Japan the U.S's incarceration rate 4-6 times higher.

I don't know, but I don't buy that there is that much more crime in the United States that other Western nations. Also keep in mind that Japan's conviction rate is much higher than the states. To me, this would raise some huge flags. Why is this happening?
 
brewthunda
2006-06-23 12:04:05 PM  
Headline: "Want to keep your options open? Don't train to be a lawyer. "

Article: "the legal profession is actually losing lawyers every day, a silent drain of talent to banking, business and premature retirement"

Sounds like lawyers have lots of options open in banking, business and getting so rich they don't have to work. If going to law school narrowed my options to those 3 fields, I'm perfectly ok with that.
 
snickersnots
2006-06-23 12:04:46 PM  
Godfrey

If I choose to steal a car, how are Americans more free than if I choose not to?

For example, it costs thousands of dollars to get a driver's license in Spain. The fees are extraordinary. In the US, the fees are minimal. To me this reflects a greater level of freedom in the US than Spain, at least in the government authorizing our use of the roads. Therefore, we have greater car ownership and more opportunity to steal cars. Not sure if this answers your question, but then I didn't really get the question.

Gunther

you are aware the reason for the high rate of Americans in prison is the unbelievably draconian drug laws we have, right?

The short answer is that this proves my point.

The Philosopher

Bwahahahahah!

And you'll take a bullet, too

You make it too easy, "philosopher"
 
ecmoRandomNumbers [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2006-06-23 12:11:29 PM  
snickersnots: The US also affords its citizens the greatest freedom of any other country in the world.

You don't get out much, do you?
 
Sensei Can You See [TotalFark]
2006-06-23 12:13:40 PM  
Godfrey: If I choose to steal a car, how are Americans more free than if I choose not to?

Thanks to our freedom, America has a lot more cars out there for you to steal.
 
snickersnots
2006-06-23 12:14:42 PM  
ecmoRandomNumbers

You don't get out much, do you?

Actually, I've travelled pretty extensively and lived for a while in France, England, Scotland, Sweden and Spain.
 
Scrotar
2006-06-23 12:16:14 PM  
You might want to break out the long answer.
 
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