Gonzales Named Lawyer Of The Year
By Jamie Tuesday Dec 11, 2007 4:01pm
"Passive Exonerative Tense" courtesy of lifeclever
And it's not even April 1st:
Negative news coverage may have cost former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales his job, but it won him a dubious honor Wednesday from a magazine published by the American Bar Association: Lawyer of the Year.
Additionally, the ABA Journal named Gonzales' successor, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, as its top lawyer for 2008 — mostly in anticipation of how often he'll be in the media spotlight for trying to repair the beleaguered Justice Department.
I wish I could say this is a joke, but I would be lying.
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I wish you could say it was a joke too. To me it is, but not a ha-ha kind of joke.
I told you. It's hopeless.
Maybe they pick the most crooked lawyer each year. That would explain it.
This isn't an award.
The person they talked to at the ABA likened Gonzo being "lawyer of the year" to Hitler being "man of the year" in Time Magazine. All this is saying is that of all the lawyers, Gonzo was in the news the most often - and then they even recognize that he was not in the news for good reasons, not because of his own merit, but rather because he is so terrible that he set a new historical marker for bad lawyers.
Yeah, it's "Lawyer of the Year." Not "Best Lawyer of the Year."
And lawyers wonder why lawyers aren't a respectable field.
They'll probably say everyone deserves legal protection, and Gonzo did the best he could under the circumstances, and then fell on his own sword, but the image problem is still there.
Kind of like when Time magazine named Hitler Man of the Year.
An Onion Parody Magazine, Right?
OMG, I wish I had bought stock in Spit-Takes, Ltd. I had to dry off my monitor when I saw that headline...
So this must be rewriting history and creating your own reality huh?
Apparently, the ABA has lowered it's standards just a wee bit.
Kinda brings color to that old joke: Why don't sharks eat lawyers? Professional courtesy.
This is what "self-policing" gets you.
"The most important role of the ABA is its creation and maintenance of a code of ethical standards for lawyers. " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bar_Association
Humbug!
DC Atty Disciplinary Board will, no doubt, drop all investigations. The precedent has been set. "No news here, m ove along."
ysbaddaden: Nice catch on Hitler. Perhaps the DC Bar took notes from Time and Hitler. Time to put the spotlight on the lazy legal counsel behind these alleged war crimes.
Liar, Lawyer. Close enough.
John @ 11:
ABA: What a cess pool, IMO. "Self policing"-ha! More like a self-protection racket. Just my opinion.
This is the same ABA that didn't timely ensure there was an opinion on signing statements. How many years did it take for them to awaken from their coma?
Lawyers need oversight. They are not to be trusted. Gonzalez is the perfect case study and fair warning.
I wonder if I can make Engineer of the year by telling an advisory committee that I can't remember anything I did.
It's NOT an award. Gonzo definitely deserves this.
If you actually read it, you'll discover that they are not commending Gonzales at all. Read up, people.
I know that this "award" isn't meant to show that the ABA actually likes the person, but how long do you think it will be before someone on the right, when announcing Mr. Gonzalez, will refer to him as "The ABA's lawyer of the year"?
Q: What do you call 1000 lawyers at the bottom of the sea?
Icy @ 16:
Well, by definition a lawyer has to lie. As such, Gonzo did his job admirably. Thus he deserves the award IMHO.
And Engineer's job qualifications are different, so no dice....
http://www.abanet.org/abanet/media/release/news_release.cfm?releaseid=230
"Think about Time magazine's Person of the Year," Adams said in an interview. "In years past they've named people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin. So we're not suggesting by these awards that these are the best lawyers in any sense of the word. We are saying they are the most newsworthy — and perhaps also the best."
Ahhhhh I see Mr. Adams. Mr. Publisher In Chief. Your the decider. Hell Hitler and Stalin got the award. Just a couple of nice guys. Until after the Award at least.
Is there a movement of lawyers withdrawing their membership from the ABA? And if not, shouldn't there be? I feel it is time to boycott such a travesty.
Gonzo: is there a place for me in heaven?
God: Hmm...I can't recall...
The Dude @ 20:
A: A good start!!
The Dude @ 20:
Moby Pickle?
Q: What happens to Lawyers when they take viagra?
Well, clearly using their standards they would then have to name Atlanta Falcons' Michael Vick "Quarterback of the Year".
And did you see some of their 2007 Runners-Up?
Michael "I've-Been-Disbarred" Nifong
Lewis "I'm-A-Felon" "Scooter" Libby
Monica "I-Got-My-Law-Degree-From-A-Box-Of-Cracker-Jacks" Goodling
David "I-Can't-Shred-Your-Constitution-Fast-Enough" Addington
I kid you not. Just go to the ABA website.
I'm going to dig around and see how this "award" is selected - and I hope the Hitler as Time's "Man of the Year Award" is applicable.
So why leave this part out?
The monthly magazine gave the awards to lawyers who made the most news, said editor and publisher Edward A. Adams. "Think about Time magazine's Person of the Year," Adams said in an interview. "In years past they've named people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin. So we're not suggesting by these awards that these are the best lawyers in any sense of the word.
Because that way, there's no sensationalist story?
Nice try.
Listen, there are enough real crooks and liars out there without making things up.
So this isn't because of what he accomplished but instead because he was in the news so much? Okay, then maybe I can see that. Kind of like Paris Hilton being lady of the year because she was in the news so much. Sort of a misleading title at best.
So the lawyer of 2008 was chosen because he's cleaning up after the lawyer of 2007?
How about giving the title to John Dean? Oh, I forgot-- he's honest.
Alright let's see. Election 08 which Candidate would I most like having a burger and a beer with.
Is that the secret?
The Dude @ 21:
By definition? What definition are you quoting from? Websters? I haven't ever seen one. As a lawyer, I take exception to that. Lawyer's are supposed to present the facts in the best light possible for their client, but not to lie. There is a difference. But that said, it doesn't do our profession any good when one of its governing bodies pulls a stunt like this by nominating the biggest liar of them all as its Lawyer of the Year. Alberto Gonzolez should be disbarred in my opinion. A move like that from the ABA would go a long way toward repairing some of the damage that has been done by Alberto and Co.
Mike @ 10:
Still, I think it's time for the ABA to put down the crack pipe.
Are you suffering from a serious irony shortage? This is obviously a joke.
Timelag @ 30:
Will the American public stop to think about it (or go shopping?). And what is the attention span of the average American public??
(hint)---> Did you say something??
IF he won I'd like to know who the runner-up is. Probably Scooter's Attorney.
Next up:
'Bush, president of the year', then
'Rice, secretary of the year, then
'Cheney, vice of the year, then
'Giuliani, ex-mayor of the year, then
'Huckabee, huckabee of the year.
How do you feel about trusting your attorney's judgment now?
Is this the ABA's equivalent to the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
pissed off patricia @ 31:
I take these "distinctions"- rather than "awards"- with a grain of salt. And if ya think of it as a distinction, who else, good or bad, was a distinctively more important lawyer this year.
And I wonder if this distinction is somethin' that (former)AGAG will include on his resume(damn! what's the HTML code fer accents?). I doubt it.
in case you're wondering what the difference is between a dead skunk and a dead attorney on the highway, there's a skid mark in front of the skunk
When Bush heard Alberto was getting an award from the American Bar Association, he said, 'That dumb mexcan SOB don't even drink, they should give the award to me'.
L.A. Confidential @ 33:
Or is it it which candidate will make sure I have a steady and reliable supply of TeeVee and bad food?
pissed off patricia @ 31:
Alberto is the Paris Hilton of the legal profession, she never passed a bar, either.
Timelag @ 30:
First of all, you got to wonder if this is some kind of record on how soon and how frequently the Godwin Law kicks in.
And secondly, the ABA's own website (while not giving any parameters for meting out this "award") only states:
"The list is meant to spark a lively debate."
http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/lawyers_of_the_year_2007_2008
If so, then clearly that banner Bush used on the USS Abraham Lincoln proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" could be recyled.
Preacher Boob @ 46:
:lol:
Adam Franklin @ 34:
Right, in theory practice and theory are the same, in practice they are not.
I am not that naive... For example, most guilty verdicts are handed after the defense lawyer has done his/her job during the trial. Which implies that one of the parties during the trial was lying, even if it was via omission or under false pretenses. And as such, yeah... by definition a lawyer's job implies lying; fact omission and perversion of pretenses is still uncomfortably close to lying.
So if the ABA Journal's editors get fired, they can either become a helper for Gonzo in the lettuce patch, or function as a paralegal for one of Mukasey's Regent University Attorney Generals.
dmhlt @ 47:
Maybe the grand finale for Junior will be jumbo cod piece exposure on his pops aircraft carrier. The USS George H.W. Bush
http://tinyurl.com/38mguu
http://tinyurl.com/23gczq
and they wonder why people dont like lawyers
The Dude @ 49:
The Dude, I could not disagree with you more. The lawyer's job is to defend his client, not lie for him. The client could lie for himself and save himself a lot of money. Law isn't about who is the best liar.
Greg @ 38:
From FOX (I went there, so you don't have to.):
Other high-profile lawyers that were nominated for the distinction included Goodling, the Justice Department's liaison to the White House who quit in April amid the political firestorm; I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff who was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the investigation into the leaked identity of former CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson; and U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the top prosecutor in Chicago who won the case against Libby.
Oh, joy!
Holy Crap! Hell just froze over!
Enron lawyer does good.
The award or whatever it is should be titled The lawyer with the most notoriety in the past year.
I just formed a new professional group, 'Triple A' (American Anal Association).
We're starting our annual award session, naming 'Ass*oles of the Year'.
Feel free to offer candidates.
Lawyers value cuntiness. The choice seems natural.
VOICE YOUR DISGUST HERE............
askaba@abanet.org
I think the real reason he's smiling because we the people are paying for it.
http://tinyurl.com/38mguu
It's not an award, it's a stigma
I believe they misunderstood - He Won "Liar of the Year" - not "Lawyer of the Year"...
Ba Da Bum
Edwin wrote:
Will the American public stop to think about it (or go shopping?). And what is the attention span of the average American public??
(hint)—> Did you say something??
I'm referring to the way it was presented here. Including only "He's been named lawyer of the year" and "No, it's not a joke" implies that whoever posted it read the thing, and verifies that it's some sort of award honoring him as a lawyer.
Except it turns out, it wasn't.
How will the general public react? Well, if they read it directly they might get exactly what it means (how many people thought Time was actually honoring Hitler, you think they had trouble sussing that out?)
On the other hand if they read a misleading, truncated report like this, yeah, they just might be misled.
Kind of my point.
Yes, we do want to expose the crooks and liars, no, we do not want to be Drudge. Speaking for myself anyway.
They mentioned the Time "Person of the Year" as an example: the one with Hitler on it... So you could say Fredo is in good company...
Seriously, the award goes to the lawyer who has made the most news, not the best lawyer...
I understand the same group gave Ted Haggerd the Heterosexual of the year award.
And now you know the Federalist Society runs the ABA Journal.
Just wait until 9iu11iani is made "Jesus Jew of 2009."
We're all going to be praying then.
I'll be OK after I scrape my jaw off the floor...
What is wrong with That Bush is Queen or women of the year. Ann Coulter is Man of the year. Chaney is Dick of the year.
STFU! Next you're going to tell me George Tenet won the Presidential Medal of Freedom!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Is it also the award for the lawyer who committed the most crimes against his country and humanity? If it is this, Gonzo gets my vote.
"Why does the hearse horse snicker, hauling the lawyer away"?
As someone considering the profession of law, this is a MAJOR turnoff
Timelag @ 63:
I couldn't agree more. This one reads like the first few chapters of Peter And The Wolf, before the wolf even shows up.
Sorry, Jamie, but there's enough batshit crazy, immoral, unethical and just plain bad shit goin' on in the world that ya don't need to resort to sensationalism to drum up the outrage in yer readers. If ya keep it up you'll find yerself jumpin' the shark, losin' readers, and devolvin' into some kinda blog-o-spheric Joanie Loves Chachi.
Did you READ the article???
wojo @ 13:
Does this mean he's competing with "w"?
Andy K @ 73:
Amen!
Paul in LA @ 66:
C'mon, Paul! I expect more scrutiny- and a bit less hyperbole- from you. You got links that proves ya out? Share 'em! Until then, yer comment has too much in common with the Pelosi-the-secret-Republican talkin' point that bothers the fuck outta both of us.
It is a joke, just not an intentional one.
Sam @ 72:
Sam, if yer actually considerin' takin' up the profession, here's a bit of advice that might carry ya a long way: read the fine print.
In this case the fine print is in the links.
Whether you agree or disagree with the posted article, Gonzales deserves no mention or recognition unless it is his picture as a criminal on his way to jail.
Hey, I'm a snowball in Hell! I feel great!
Suggested caption for that Picture of Gonzo....
"I can't recall where I've put my ass Senator... have you seen it? It a great big mushy butt with two round cheeks that sort of looks like this"
aquarius2 @ 80:
I gotta disagree. Prison or no, ya can't just ignore Gonzalez's record of malfeasance and the lessons that should be taken from that record. Joe Stalin never, in the end, went to jail. Nor did Nixon. Do we take it fer granted that, because these two weren't jailed, that their legacies are sterling? I think not.
W
T
F
What's next; O.J. winning the Pulitzer for "if I did it", or Dubyah getting the Noble prize for Peace. This nation is literally shitting on itself.
I wish I could say this is a joke, but I would be lying.
Unfortunatly the whole thing is one big joke...and the joke is on the American Citizen.
Perhaps the biggest lawyer joke ever........ It's no wonder no one trusts these guys. Talk about "omerta" in the bush crime family.
I am never going to trust another lawyer that belongs to the ABA again.
The only honor that gonzo deserves is to choose the type of rope he swings from when he is convicted of war crimes along with all of the others in the bush administration who deserve such a fate.
F**king disgusting on the part of the ABA.
What's next, Larry Craig for most heterosexual man of the year?
Are you sure they didn't name him "Liar of the Year?"
myiq2xu @ 90:
Ok folks! we have a winner!
VOMIT.
*
pissed off patricia @ 53:
When the judge asks a lawyer how his client pleads, many times the lawyer will respond "innocent your honor."
If later in the process, the accusation can prove the guilt of the defendant, it turns out that the lawyer was indeed lying. Albeit in a proxy fashion.
I understand that there are more aspects to the law than criminal processes. But the assertion stands for the most part, the practice of the law has the implication of factual omission and distortion in some/most cases... ergo, I fail to see the difference with ultimately such actions being considered lying. Alas, that is what lawyers are very good at: shaping the discourse in order to fit a specific agenda.
So yes, theoretically Gonzales did not lie when he claimed he did not recall. As a good lawyer he deserves recognition for doing his job well. However, I am no naive, and I am well aware that even though it was not a "technical" lie, I don't trust that practical lying sack of shit as far as I can throw him...
You've gotta be fucking kidding me. That's like giving Cheney a Nobel Peace Prize.
You all need to listen to AJ on Prison Planet, he will tell it to you like it is. These people in power are social paths and when they get done using anyone in office they just off them. Why anyone would work for CIA, FBI, BATF baffles my mind and you too Israel scum trolls, you will get your just reward.
The US of A is lost...my sympathies to you who care ... how heartbreaking.
britany spears is a news worthy topic, hannity is news...Kristol dictates death and dying, Libby outs a CIA agent and gets away with it, bush is a dry drunk with apparently no memory, common to dry drunks...and on and on...bye bye American pie.
I'm pretty sure it's like the Time Man of the Year award, where it doesn't necessarily go to people because they're good human beings.
Note the stark and obvious difference: in Pakistan, the lawyers took to the streets (in their suits, en mass) to protest marshal law. Principled, protesting lawyers in Pakistan were clubbed, maced and arrested. In America, the super rich lawyers do not give a flying fuck about your stupid rights or any of that crap. American lawyers are only here to protect the big corporations and rich people from the safety of their plush offices. American lawyers gave the guy who legalized torture, secret spying by the government, and the destruction of common law, including the Magna Carta and the undermining of the Constitution, a big award.
This side-by-side comparison tells you all you need to know about which side US lawyers are on. Hint: It is not the side of human rights or freedom or democracy. Personally, I would trust a lawyer from Pakistan. I would not trust an American lawyer with so much as a parking ticket.
Ha!
Tha ABA has a sense of humor. This is a flaming bag of dogshit on Gonzo's doorstep.
In a related story, Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Airlines, named (drum roll).........
(are you ready for this?)...............................................named
Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton,
'VIRGINS OF THE YEAR'.
And they won a trip to spend a month at Branson's private island hideaway.
Eat your heart out, Gonzo.
And Richard's even paying for the flight to Australia and the 'Nip and Tuck' plastic surgery 'down there' for the Virgin trio, before they leave for his island.
maybe it shows that lawyers in america haven't done one fucking bit of good and in fact are so bad, it makes all the jokes about lawyers appropriate. I bet harriet miers was the runner-up.
OK, so what's a busload of lawyers going over a cliff with one empty seat?
A crying shame! :lol:
Rasputin @ 83:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
The word "dubious" in the first sentence of the article should clue the reader in that it is not a pat on the back. Rather, the award is for "lawyers who made the most news." So it's no "joke", but what's the problem?
this is no endorsement, but an acknowledgment of his historic (in a really bad way) role in the politicization of DOJ and destruction of the Constitution.
Pinochetist of the year
When Alberto Gonzales accepts his award; lets see if any ABA membership at least stand and give their backs to him; at best just walk out him.
Such a disrespectful UnAmerican vote. It's sad and disturbing. I feel the AMA is gloating and slapping America across its face. Pathetic vote. You all should be ashamed.
Man even communist russia has nothing on this... Appointing Warcriminals to the top spot on your journal just proves your journal is no better than toilet paper.
Nobody reads, anymore.
Click the link. Read the actual, full article. It's not much longer than Jamie's post, above.
It's for the lawyer most in the news in the past year. They're guessing Mukasey will be the one in 2008, because he's heading for so much scrutiny/scandal over everything for which the administration and AGAG have set him up.
Personally, I think the fact that ABA magazine editor & publisher Edward A. Adams specifically compared Gonzalez as the lawyer equivalent to Hitler and Stalin speaks volumes, and is priceless. :D
Kudos to Chris T., Dr. Love, phantom, L.A. Confidential, amall gib, Timelag, dmhlt, DR, Andy K, Swashbuckler, Pazuzu's Petals, and jim -- and anyone else who actually READ the article. It's knee-jerk reactions to headlines and cherry-picked bites of news that's got 34 percent of America still trusting this administration.
People, please... let's all do our part to get ourselves out of the American Dark Ages.
I guess I better prepare myself for Brittney being named "Mother of the Year". Not that she was the best mother, just that she was in the news most often.
Actually the caption for the photo should be "HUGE...tracts of land"
Today, I learned that the ABA has seen fit to nominate Alberto Gonzales to Man of the Year. It seems to suggest that the criterion was “top newsmaker”. I do not buy it! I could recite a litany of reasons why he should be sanctioned by the legal profession, but one particularly galling reason was his role in the wiretapping of American citizens without a court order; and as such he abetted a potential violation of the time honored right to the attorney-client privilege. For this he deserves ABA Man of the Year? How about Scoundrel of the Year? I am incensed over the ABA's squandering of an opportunity to honor our members for contributing to the betterment of the world, not its deterioration! Look for my resignation from the ABA!
The story may not be a joke but it seems the ABA is fast becoming one.
How about,
SHYSTER OF THE CENTURY?
This doesn't seem to dispel the "myth" of lawyers all being without ethics. To call the guy who can't remember where his ass is the lawyer of the year.
CoIntelPro @ 103:
ROTFLMAO!!!
Is it just me, or is this site constantly exaggerating facts for shock value?
If so, isn't this just a leftist version of the O'Reily factor?
the establishment likes you to hate lawyers. ever wonder why you don't hear about all the reduced on appeal verdicts on fox news? they want you to hate lawyers, then they can just do whatever the hell they want using their own lawyers (only about 20% of us are corporate lawyers or politicos like this a**hole), who don't need regular people to like them. the ABA magazine assigns "lawyer of the year" purely based on notoriety... not good or bad. but hey, the guy put some serious holes in a constitution that's stood for a couple of centuries... you have to admit that's some pretty impressive leverage for just one guy!
think i'll move to canada or maybe australia.
Here is the email address to these crazy folks... abajournal@abanet.org
I suggest you write to it.
#1 on America's most wanted, HUH?!
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