In the news about lawyers and how they’re disillusioned, disaffected and how they generally just “diss” their profession, 
the ABA Journal have covered a letter from Beverly Hills attorney Jay Foonberg as to why he loves being a lawyer.
The ABA Journal said this was a “valentine to the profession”,
reminding us—in the words of ordinary lawyers from across the nation—why being a lawyer can be an extraordinary calling
Jay Foonberg, author of “How to Start and Build a Law Practice” is a commercial, tax and estate lawyer, rather than a criminal law.
However despite a lack of knowledge about criminal law he had been appointed by a federal court judge to represent a woman charged with forgery. His name had been seen on a completely separate pleading and – bang! – he found himself as appointed lawyer.
The woman was about to plead guilty to 22 counts of forging signatures on Social Security checks. Her hearing was scheduled for 2 p.m. The judge told me to educate myself and if I needed more time, he could continue the case for a week.
Upon meeting his new client, she told him she was guilty of signing checks and depositing them to her bank account due to instructions from her husband who happened to be a Social Security recipient currently in hospital in Texas.
Relying on what I learned in bills and notes class, I told her that an authorized signature wasn’t forgery. At the 2 p.m. hearing I moved to vacate the woman’s plea, offering her husband’s letter as evidence. The government acquiesced and the case was dismissed.
It was at that precise moment of dismissal that I realized being a lawyer was about helping people who needed help. And I felt that I had found my calling in life.
And there it is – a reason as good or better than ever to continue to serve clients and see that justice is served. And to love being a lawyer, despite what you may read on websites like LawFuel even. It’s still a top profession.
