Posted on
April 14, 2008 in
Two recent news items, perhaps pertinent to the question of whether prosecutors lead more sheltered existences than self-employed lawyers:
In Searching for New Job, Gonzales Sees No Takers – New York Times
and
Law of Criminal Defense – And you think the economy sucks? Ask any criminal-defense lawyer
Let me sum up: former top prosecutor can’t get a job (New York criminal-defense lawyer Scott Greenfield let him down gently), and criminal-defense lawyers are feeling the recession. (You don’t come here to get sunshine blown up your nether regions, do you?)
Apropos of the second article, a month or so ago I asked my favorite felony court judge to allow my client to keep working at a bar while he was on probation. She said that he could for six months, after which he should plan to have a job not involving alcoholic beverages. I pointed out that, even in Houston, the economy wasn’t doing so well and that he might not be able to find work, especially on felony probation. She scoffed at the idea that he might have any difficulty finding a job. I was reminded, for a moment, of Marie Antoinette.
We criminal-defense lawyers live fairly sheltered lives too, but we’re a little bit closer to the ground than the prosecutors and judges. We, at least, spend enough time out of the bubble to know that for most of the people down at the courthouse eating cake is not an option.
Actually, a more accurate summary would be 1) The former disgraced and caught lying prosecutor can’t get a job he wants–he can most surely get a job of some sort. 2) ALL lawyers except a top few are feeling an economic pinch.
If you think that a prosecutor who makes barely enouigh to cover rent and loans hasn’t already been welcomed to the real world, I humbly suggest you rethink that assumption.
Maybe Lykos will give him a job.
Hmmmm. Judge Antoinette. So how does that go exactly?
“Let him serve Shirley Temples!”
(Not sure what the correct punctuation to imply supercilious is, so I went with the overused exclamation mark.)
Well, since I always keep my PR bond paperwork in my briefcase, I might have asked the judge if she has a reemployment plan following the next election.
Maybe prosecutors do live more “sheltered” lives than defense lawyers. I will not enter that debate, but will say that the most sheltered lives of all are those of LAWYERS period!
SC and Jigmeister, thanks for the comments.
Ron, unfortunately this judge may well be looking for work in January.
WJ, unquestionably true.
Why would a lawyer in general be more sheltered than say the average entrepreneur, businessman or middle manager? That’s what most lawyers are anyway.