What is a Lawyer?

Outside of television shows or movies, you may have no knowledge of what lawyers are or what they do. While fictional
depictions can be helpful, they are not always accurate. The following are a few commonly asked questions about
lawyers.
Q. What exactly is a lawyer?
A. A lawyer (also called attorney, counsel, or counselor) is a licensed professional who advises and represents others
in legal matters. Todays lawyer can be young or old, male or female. Nearly one-third of all lawyers are under thirty-five
years old. Almost half of the law students today are women, and women may ultimately be as numerous in the profession
as men.
Q. I come from another country, and I need to hire a lawyer. Are notaries public lawyers?
A. A notary public, an accountant, or a certified public accountant is not necessarily a lawyer. Do not assume that
titles such as notary public mean the same thing as similar terms in your own language. In some countries, a lawyer is
called a barrister or a solicitor.

Q. What are a lawyers main duties?

A. A lawyer has two main duties: to uphold the law while also protecting a clients rights. To carry out these duties, a
lawyer should understand the law and be an effective communicator.

Q. Is most of a lawyers time spent in court?

A. No. Most lawyers normally spend more time in an office than in a courtroom. The practice of law most often involves
researching legal developments, investigating facts, writing and preparing legal documents, giving advice, and settling
disputes.

Q. If I have a legal problem, do I have to hire a lawyer?

A. Not necessarily you may represent yourself. And, in some specialized situations, such as bringing a complaint before
a government agency (for example, a dispute over Social Security or Medicare benefits), nonlawyers or paralegals may
be qualified to represent you. (Paralegals are nonlawyers who have received training that enables them to assist lawyers
in a number of tasks; they typically cannot represent clients in court.) If you are in this situation, ask the government
agency involved what types of legal representatives are acceptable.
There are many matters you can deal with yourself, if you know how to go about it. For example, you can represent
yourself in traffic or small-claims court, or engage in negotiations and enter into contracts on your own. But if you are not
sure about the consequences of your actions or are uncertain about how to proceed, getting some quick legal advice from
a lawyer could be very helpful in preventing problems down the road.

Q. Why does it sound like lawyers speak and write in a totally different language?
A. Lawyers and others trained in the law often use legal terms as shorthand to express complicated ideas or principles.
These words and phrases, many rooted in Latin, are often jokingly referred to as a foreign languagelegalese. Although
some legalese may be necessary in order to communicate certain ideas precisely, a document that is understood by very
few of its readers is just plain poor communication.
Since 1978, federal regulations are required to be written in plain English and understandable to those who must comply
with them. Many states also have laws requiring that insurance policies, leases, and consumer contracts be written in
plain English. Of particular importance is the trend in law schools to discourage the use of legalese and to encourage the
use of plain, comprehensible English
Should I Become a Medical Lawyer?

Lawyers who practice medial law may work on cases that deal medical practitioner negligence, violation of patient
confidentiality or criminal activity involving patient abuse and misuse of prescription drugs. The field of medical law is a
broad discipline that falls under the practice of personal injury, medical malpractice, and health care law. Therefore, a
medical lawyer is an attorney who focuses their practice on one or more of these areas.
Lawyers of all kinds, including those who specialize in medical-related practice, write legal documents, research laws,
present a client's case to a judge or jury, and negotiate settlement agreements. These professionals work in office settings
on a full-time basis. Some travel to meet with clients and attend hearings is required. Working overtime hours is common
for this profession.
THE DIFFERENCE WITH DOCTORS AND LAWYERS
Since I started my series about Medicine and the Law, Ive been thinking a lot about a debate I used to have with my
friends when I was younger. Some of my friends wanted to be lawyers, others wanted to be doctors. At that time, doctors
were paid more than lawyers. Since that time, lawyers are paid more than doctors.
At the heart of this debate were a few simple questions:

Who works harder, doctors or lawyers?

Who should get paid more?

Whose job is most important?

Ive always felt that doctors worked harder than lawyers. That medicine is a profession with no restrictions to work hours
and that law is a corporate type of job with restrictions. I understand that in every profession there are difficult and less
difficult specialties. Radiologists, physiatrists, and dermatologists are all doctors but they definitely dont work as hard or
as long of hours as surgeons, traumatologists, or intensivists. Similarly, litigators are under a lot of stress and must work
after hours to prepare for cases. If clients get in trouble after hours, they must attend to them. On the other hand, there
are contract lawyers that review contracts and dont spend time in front of judges or juries. So in both professions there
are those that work hard and long hours.
One key difference for me is that doctors are responsible for care at all hours of the day and night. If your doctor doesnt
see you when you need him/her you can die and bad things can happen. If your lawyer doesnt see you, perhaps
something bad can/will happen, but you can always get another attorney or if you get in trouble one will be assigned to
you.
I guess both doctors and lawyers must take their work home at night. But when you are a doctor and someone is in the
hospital, you must field calls from nurses all night. Lawyers dont really have the same sort of torture and can sleep.
I definitely feel that doctors have more important jobs than lawyers. I know I am biased and that many of you will probably
be upset and disagree, but the truth is that all across the world you can live without a lawyer, but you cant live without
doctors.

So who should get paid more? Well, in most other countries outside the U.S.
doctors do not make much money. They probably get more respect but dont get paid as much. I still feel that doctors
should get paid more than lawyers, but the payment mechanism of this country continues to punish physicians. But this is
for several reasons including the inability of the government to pay for the aging population, the rising costs of healthcare,
and the sheer necessity of providing care to everyone in need. Perhaps those facts reveal that medicine is more important
than law those that cannot afford lawyers simply dont get them and they do fine. But people need doctors to stay
healthy and doctors but there are too many people that need doctors and it is too expensive for the government to pay for
them all.
One final note is that I think it is interesting that the payment mechanism in law has not changed. Lawyers continue to get
paid exorbitant hourly wages. The more senior attorney you are the higher your hourly rate. Lawyers get paid more for
longer cases or more complicated ones. And most importantly, there is no incentive for lawyers to make things short and
sweet doing so decreases their billable hours.
But doctors have an incentive to work fast. They dont get paid hourly. In fact, when they spend more time with someone it
reduces their economic productivity.
I dont need to spell out how to change this system. Anyone with a pea of a brain could figure out how
to incentivize physicians to work more effectively.

LAW QUOTES
Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.
John F. Kennedy

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life
and to everything.
Plato

There's a natural law of karma that vindictive people, who go out of their way to hurt others, will end up broke and alone.
Sylvester Stallone

Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the
cemetery.
Malcolm X

Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do
not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of
the individual.
Thomas Jefferson

There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.
Charles de Montesquieu

The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings
capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom.
John Locke

I've led a school whose faculty and students examine and discuss and debate every aspect of our law and legal system.
And what I've learned most is that no one has a monopoly on truth or wisdom. I've learned that we make progress by
listening to each other, across every apparent political or ideological divide.
Elena Kagan

It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law.

Thomas Hobbes

Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment.
When there is debate, there are solutions. When there is no sharing of power, no rule of law, no accountability, there is
abuse, corruption, subjugation and indignation.
Atifete Jahjaga

Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law
enforcement it insists on.
Robert Kennedy

Modern science says: 'The sun is the past, the earth is the present, the moon is the future.' From an incandescent mass
we have originated, and into a frozen mass we shall turn. Merciless is the law of nature, and rapidly and irresistibly we are
drawn to our doom.
Nikola Tesla

Understand, our police officers put their lives on the line for us every single day. They've got a tough job to do to maintain
public safety and hold accountable those who break the law.
Barack Obama

'Crazy' is a term of art; 'Insane' is a term of law. Remember that, and you will save yourself a lot of trouble.
Hunter S. Thompson

We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the
American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.
Ronald Reagan

In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.
Immanuel Kant

And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the
survival of the fittest in every department.
Andrew Carnegie

In almost every profession - whether it's law or journalism, finance or medicine or academia or running a small business people rely on confidential communications to do their jobs. We count on the space of trust that confidentiality provides.
When someone breaches that trust, we are all worse off for it.
Hillary Clinton

Two things awe me most, the starry sky above me and the moral law within me.
Immanuel Kant

A chair's function is not just to provide a place to sit; it is to provide a medium for self-expression. Chairs are about status,
for example. Or signalling something about oneself. That's why the words chair, seat and bench have found themselves
used to describe high status professions, from academia to Parliament to the law.
Evan Davis

We need to recognize that the situation in Ferguson speaks to broader challenges that we still face as a nation. The fact
is, in too many parts of this country, a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of color. Some of
this is the result of the legacy of racial discrimination in this country.
Barack Obama

If we destroy human rights and rule of law in the response to terrorism, they have won.
Joichi Ito

I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of
imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest
respect for law.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it.
Julius Caesar

You have undertaken to cheat me. I won't sue you, for the law is too slow. I'll ruin you.
Cornelius Vanderbilt