(Some) Lawyers Are People, Too (Almost)

Christine Todd
Volume 3, Issue 6, (Originally Published on Monday 15th April 2013)
 
Lawyers can get a lot of grief for doing the work they do. They consistently rank as one of the most hated professions, despite offering some pretty invaluable services. ‘International Be Kind to Law-
yers Day’ (April 9) was created to remedy this injustice, forcing people worldwide to sacrifice 1/365th of their year to treat their lawyer friends and family as the almost semi-humans that they are.
 
I extended the scope of the day to include law students for completely unselfish purposes this year, alerting people within shouting distance of the occasion, and patiently awaiting pleasantness. Crickets. I wrote about it on the social media, and even texted my grandfather, a former judge who refuses to put his legal years behind him. The little message came up on my phone indicating he’d read the message, but he never responded. Presumably he was too busy laughing.
 
The day itself was as painfully average as any other. The assignments didn’t miraculously disappear, my library fines weren’t suddenly wiped, and I had to buy my own coffee. Barista didn’t even smile.
Worse still, I was unsuccessful in trying to be kind to my lawyer friends. They told me off for interrupting their meeting with a client, so I gave their dinosaur balloon and muffins to a really tired-looking IT specialist on the tram home.
 
So my recommendation for those of you expecting to reap the benefits of International Be Kind to Lawyers Day: don’t expect the world to be kind to you. Be kind to yourself. Take a day of sick leave (to be fully sick, amirite?), buy yourself a nice bottle of wine, schedule a massage and tell yourself that all the hatin’ and all the paperwork is worth it. Cos you love being a lawyer.
 
And don’t forget some of the other relevant international days of celebration that are relevant to lawyers and law students alike:
 
April 13 is Blame Somebody Else Day.
 
April 16 is Stress Awareness Day.
 
June 5 is the Festival of Popular Delusions.
 
And May 9 is Lost Sock Memorial Day. Because what the hell.
 
Christine Todd