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GAZETTE
JULY/AUGUST 1983
Whydid
thedepositor
crossthe
road?
accumulated expertise, yet it is typical in American law,
as one of the Executive Committee partners puoudly
informed me, that its best practitioners are keen to go
public with their professional knowledge and to share it
with fellow lawyers through the CLE system. Firms can
also hire 'Videolaw' seminars, taped demonstrations of
specific skills such as 'the cross-examination of a witness
with immunity in a federal narcotics case'. Some
characteristically American touches are added — one of
the courses in a ntitrust (anti-monopoly) law is presented
in a 'gameshow' format, in which the contestants answer
questions about their business deals and a big plastic dial
lights up every time an answer reveals a potential
antitrust violation.
'Time' Magazine in April 1978 carried a famous cover
story entitled 'Those »** ! ? !Lawy e r s' (or expletive-sub-
stitutes to that effect), and some 'Irish Times' readers
may recall Doonesbury's general testifying that America
could comc through a nuclear war and bounce back
within two years — unless a disproportionate number of
lawyers survived. The American legal profession is
constantly under critical public scrutiny, unsurprisingly
in an adversarial society, where litigation has become
the new secular religion. But although people complain
about the profession in general, American Bar
Association surveys consistently show that they tend to
be very satisfied with their own lawyer. Melvin Belli, a
San Francisco attorney known as the 'King of Torts' for
his success in winning major malpractice and negligence
suits, recently declared that the United States "is in the
golden age of the law". "The law is better here than ever
before", he told U.S. News & World Report last
October. "That includes the schools, the books, and the
seminars given for lawyer re-education. The number of
incompetent lawyers is decreasing. Lawsuits help ensure
that Americans have a good life. We protect our rights if
anyone attempts to trample on them. One of the colonial
flags included a rattlesnake with the legend 'Don't Tread
On Me'. That's the American mind of today as
expressed by lawyers. We don't let anyone tread on us".
If Belli is right about the golden age. and my Wall Street
experience gave me no reason to doubt that he is. then
my return visit in summer 1983 will be happening at just
the right time. •
Solicitors' Golfing
Society
President's (Michael Houlihans) Prize
Baltray Golf Club.
Presidents Prize & Law Society Challenge Cup
Ronnie Lynam (17) 45 pt. Runner up Conor Breen (5)
41 pts.
Ryan Cup: Gerard Doyle (26) 39 pts. Runner up
Michael Green (15) 36 pts on last 3.
Under 12: Brian O'Brien Kenny (7) 42 pts. Runner up
George O'Sullivan (9) 40 pts.
1st Nine: Brian O'Sullivan (8) 21 pts. 2nd Nine: Kevin
Byrne (8) 21 pts.
Over 30 miles: Bill Hartnett (9) 38 pts. By lot: Brian
O'Brien (17) 36 pts. Cyril Coyle (11) 32 pts.
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