Passing the bar is more than a feather in one’s mortarboard – it is a testament to perseverance, ambition, and four years of nosebleeds. This is why for us law students, lawyers are extraordinary. Generalist lawyers in the past, those experts of every field of law, are regarded even more so. But recently, in a speech for UP Law’s 100th Anniversay, Sen. Edgardo J. Angara said that the age of these supermen-lawyers is over – the age of the specialists has come. The trend in Philippine legal profession is towards specialization, fueled by skepticism towards generalists, in our version of “kiu ĉasas du leporojn, kaptas neniun.” Who chases two jackrabbits catches none. But in comic books, the age of superhero lawyers is hardly over. After all, they started everything.
Lawyers in capes and tights have always been present in the medium of comics since its inception. The concept would germinate and persist through the years. The following are only a few of the lawyers who put on capes, wish for luck, and kick some criminal derrières.
The Clock
Contrary to popular belief, the first masked superhero is not Superman - it is The Clock. Before he became a vigilante, former District Attorney Brian O’Brien believed in the courts, until it failed him. His decision to become a vigilante was sparked by a frustration with the court system, the flaws of which let criminals operate with impunity. His motivations would be explored by several comic book writers over the years, through several other superheroes, spanning all seven decades of comic book history. The Clock’s disguise was a three-piece suit, and he had a calling card that said, “The Clock Has Struck.” When DC Comics acquired the rights to the character in 1956, it let the character of...
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...ng, superhuman lawyers are an indication of the masses’ admission that the legal system is the high-road, and vigilantism is the entertaining road, albeit the road that should not be taken. It is a confirmation by the people of that heroism is just one of the characteristics that define a member of the bar, literal ass-kicking not included.
Works Cited
Yap, D.J. "Senator Angara: ‘Superman-lawyer’ doesn’t fly anymore." Inquirer News. 5 Feb. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2012.
Hilyerd, William A. "Hi Superman, I'm a Lawyer: A Guide to Attorneys (And Other Legal Professionals) Portrayed in American Comic Books: 1910-2007." Widener Law Review 15.1 (2009): 159-195. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. Hilyerd’s research is the most helpful and exhaustive review on the topic, providing over 300 notes.
There are certain standards that the courts use to determine competency. In order to find the accused competent, a court should find out by a preponderance of evidence that the defendant has remarkable ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational indulgence. The def...
Wasserstrom considers a few options with in his discussion concerning a multitude of aspects faced by lawyers. "The lawyer's situation is different from that of other professionals. The lawyer is vulnerable to some moral criticism that does not as readily or as easily attach to any other professional." Thi...
It is more difficult for governments to provide adequate salaries to public defense lawyers and the result is that these lawyers are often more inexperienced (Fairfax, 2013). Since the amount of defendants who are unable to afford private counsel has increased, public defense lawyers are also overworked. It is not uncommon for public defense lawyers to juggle hundreds of cases simultaneously (Fairfax, 2013). In other words, the system is unable to handle the volume and has therefore resorted to avoiding the trial process whenever
...f-regulate? A reasonable case for increased regulation can be made given the massive cost of recent financial turmoil and attorneys’ ostensible role in these crises. Moreover, as lawyers effectively operate as gatekeepers and rubberstamps for much of business decsionmaking, they may serve as the most efficient risk bearer to reduce externalized costs, whether through a division of ethical responsibilities between in-house attorneys and independent firms or simply staying the drastic course of Lawson. This modification of the role of attorneys does present a difficult contradiction as the exact value added by lawyers is leveraged into a social duty and it’s not obvious whether the two can co-exist. Given the relative lack of traction and progress, however, it seems the stickiness of established behavior may present too much value, for attorneys and clients alike.
Paralegals are employed in a wide variety of legal settings and play an ever-increasing role in the delivery of affordable and efficient legal services. However, regulation of paralegals has been non-existent or inconsistent, though the topic continues to be a significant issue. Across the country, paralegals advocate bar associations, state legislatures and courts to consider regulatory programs that go beyond merely defining the term "Paralegal." Federally required licensing of paralegals would benefit future growth and development of the career field and address the controversial issues surrounding it.
Imagine a tall slim man dressed in a very respectable iron pressed suit, with a tie that’s perfect length and fits nicely with the colors of his blazer. To go along with his suit, he carries a very affluent briefcase with a matching belt and shoes. This is the typical perception from students of someone that works in the legal profession, including the consumption of time spent on only work along with having a very stern look. However, a look at how it’s shown in the film To Kill a Mockingbird, it shows that things like standing for justice, having integrity, and being family-oriented plays a huge role in the lives of lawyers.
Grossman, Lev. "The Problem with Superman." TIME Magazine. Www.time.com, 10 May 2004. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. .
Hughes, Jamie A. "Who Watches the Watchmen?: Ideology and 'Real World' Superheroes." Journal of Popular Culture39.4 (2006): 546-557. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 25 Feb. 2010
Paralegals have become an essential part of today's legal system, and as the profession becomes one of the leading and fastest growing occupations in the U.S. economy; these individuals perform delegated tasks under the supervision of attorneys. Education has played an important part on this matter; it has facilitated this development by allowing lawyers to use these skills professionals as agents to delegate specific tasks such as legal research, gathering of information and the drafting of specific legal documents under the supervision and final approval of their principals. This has been very significant because now; we can enjoy a speedy process in a cumbersome legal system. From en economic standpoint, it has also been beneficial by decreasing the substantial amount of the legal cost a firm could incur if only lawyers were allowed to perform this kind work.
Smith, C. E. (2004). Public defenders. In T. Hall, U.S. Legal System (pp. 567-572-). [Ebscohost]. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook
Throughout modern civilization, the American republic is widely known for its dependency upon the realm of business. Equally as vital, looms the ever-present hand of the American law system. “All beings have their laws: the Deity…man his laws” (Montesquieu,1), this statement serves true in founding that law is consistently a necessary portion in society because all society desires law. As a consequence of the continual presence of law, careers aimed to interpret the crevices of laws, and to defend them, are synonymously as necessary in society. Absolutely, the gain of America’s economy is a direct reflection of the lawyers who protect them. Lawyers are a necessity to the nation; serving their purpose as defenders of the law. The system of corporate law is undoubtedly the cornerstone of corporate finance, and as citizens begin to thrive more immensely in a capitalistic nation, legal representation will be the trailblazer to the continuation of the American system of corporations. As I embark upon the journey of excellence into the world of corporate law, I endeavor to change the way business is defended, upheld, and represented.
'Lawyers are all right, I guess - but it doesn't appeal to me,' I said. 'I mean they're all right if they go around saving innocent guys' lives all the time, and like that, but you don't do that kind of stuff if you're a lawyer. All you do is make a lot of dough and play golf and play bridge and buy cars and drink Martinis and look like a hot-shot. How would you know you weren't being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldn't' (Salinger 172).
Although the legal profession is a single discourse community, it is made up of many smaller discourse communities. This is so because while all lawyers share the same broad goals of the legal profession and have a general knowledge and expertise in all areas of the law, most lawyers after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam specialize in a particular area of law. This specialization requires the lawyer to go beyond the broad concepts of law as a whole and to become knowledgeable and proficient in the sometimes minute details of a more specific area of law. Even then, some lawyers will go even further to focus on one aspect or another of that particular area of law. This results in most lawyers being members of many even smal...
In their graphic novel Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons establish their story during the Cold War period, when a group of superheroes tackle the task to save humanity from a potential World War III caused by tensions among governmental powers. Managed by the intelligence of Adrian Veidt, the worst was avoided after the attack of alien forces causes the death of millions of New Yorkers that leads to a temporary world peace. The representations of the Watchmen superheroes of Moore and Gibbons, particularly Rorschach, display the concept of heroism being a part of the real world, among the regular public of our society.
The Paralegal Professional, A reference to the source of legal information chapter 12, pages 434, 446, and 454.