Possible to be a Leftist and a lawyer?

[RedSquare]

Obviously by now, its clear I ask a lot of questions. :)

Hypothetically speaking it is possible to reconcile your Leftists beliefs with your chosen path in the current system? For instance, as a law student you find a lot of people opposed to Leftist views since for most, the law is a subject heavily populated with self-interest and profit as the main motivators of those who work in the area.

Have any other Leftists (without going into specifics) came across this problem, where they seem to be the only one with such beliefs?

[NGNM85]

There is no reason why one can't be a Leftist and a lawyer, there are a number of examples, from William Kunstler to Jonothan Turley, who have stood up for important causes.

[Blackscare]

TC should have something good to say about this.

[KC]

A lawyer is just someone who specializes in law. There is nothing "capitalist" about becoming professionally trained in how the law operates. Everyone has legal issues, and it is certainly possible to for example do pro bono work for poor working people who are fighting foreclosure or something.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

Of course it's possible. Lenin himself was a lawyer for a few years. Not all lawyers are bad, in fact I remember hearing about a pretty progressive college for lawyers in L.A. in a thread at one point. I think it's good to have lawyers that will stand up for human rights, defend people getting kicked out of their homes, stuff like that. It's good to have people that know how to work within the system that will stand up for working class interests.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Here's one notable example: labour lawyers.

[Jalapeno Enema]

Unrelated, but this thread makes me think of SLC Punk.

It comes down to the old adage; I love MY lawyer, I hate YOURS.
To be a lawyer is to be a professional who knows and works with law. It does not mean you have to agree with or abide by said laws. In fact, many lawyers spend great amounts of time fighting individual, often unjust laws.

The majority of all lawyers are dicks, it's true, but as an individual who has had legal trouble (in the past year I got sued twice and arrested once; they ALL were thrown out by the judges for being horse shit, but it's still expensive), I can tell you it would be difficult to get on with you life if there weren't people who spend their time understanding the law, and losing your case is more expensive in the long run.

I look at lawyers about the same as doctors; the ones who do it because they can make tons of cash suck, but there are some who do it because by specializing in that aspect of society they allow people to focus on other aspects of life and call the professional when the need arises.

I see no reason leftist and lawyer can't coexist; indeed the more the better.

[#FF0000]

Ahemhem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lawyers_Guild

[smk]

It is pretty easy to be a lawyer and a leftist. I know that there are at least 2 free immigration law office directed towards illegal immigrants in my city, for example.

[Jose Gracchus]

Here's one notable example: labour lawyers.

Future one (one hopes) right here. I'll plot with you all and get you out of the can when it gets rough.

[brigadista]

in the UK

http://www.haldane.org/

you can read socialist lawyer magazine online here

if you are a law student you can become a student member

also the tunisian lawyers lately

http://www.lawsofrule.net/2011/01/27/tunisias-combative-lawyers/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[RedSquare]

Some very interesting views here. I'm especially interested in the Haldane Society

Obviously, there are good things one can do but I find it difficult to air views while surrounded by reactionaries.

[Widerstand]

There are a lot of leftist lawyers, and quite a few leftist law support organizations (for example in Germany the various EAs and the Rote Hilfe). Pretty much every political action I've been to in Germany had an EA, which is a dedicated team of lawyers keeping check of arrests and police repression and giving law support to those affected. Having lawyers with you at protests can also be extremely helpful to scare police from doing random shit.

Matter of fact I'm strongly considering specializing in law (labor law though); luckily I still have like 1 year of checking out subjects before I have to make that choice ;D

[Die Neue Zeit]

Future one (one hopes) right here. I'll plot with you all and get you out of the can when it gets rough.

I say labour lawyers, comrade, because I have a healthy skepticism towards "identity" lawyers.

[Jose Gracchus]

You mean civil rights attorneys? Where you going with that?

[Die Neue Zeit]

Just too many liberals in their ranks.

[Savage]

Castro and Bishop were lawyers.

[Sixiang]

The ACLU used to have quite a few communists in its ranks before a purging in the 1940's. Marx originally went into law, but became more interested in philosophy and history. And Lenin and Castro were both lawyers. You can do a lot as a lawyer with leftism, just know that you will face hostility from liberals and conservatives alike.