Why do lawyers restate the obvious by saying that they are 'Attorneys at Law'?

In response to last week's question, “Why do lawyers restate the obvious by saying that they are 'Attorneys at Law'? Are they avoiding confusion with 'Attorneys at Fast Food Restaurants', 'Attorneys at Car Dealerships' or 'Attorneys at Math'? ”, my educated friend Stuart wrote, “An attorney is ’one who is legally appointed to transact business on another's behalf.’ If he/she is at Law, a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, that’s fine with me. But I don’t want anyone with a nose in my business, including my crooked uncle Sam, who would be an attorney out law. My friend and new-father again Gian agreed with Stuart about attorneys representing someone else, such as the “removal of one’s liberty,” and added that “SAT administrators have had a couple of run-ins with Attorneys-at-Math, also known as cheating by proxy.”

My friend Mark, who as a lawyer gives lawyers a good name, explained “One of the funniest names I've heard lawyers called, by a real rascal, was Enemies of Fun.” To the question at hand, “it’s a mix of marketing (it sounds more professional) and an appreciation of history that is most likely subconscious. [see “PS” below for his explanation] Using three words where one will do (lawyer, counsel, attorney) doesn't do much to help the profession's reputation regarding being concise.”

My neighbor Stan suggested, “You are acutely aware that attorneys are verbose. They use the extended title so the shingle hanging outside their door has more words and looks more important.” My friend Royce noted that the verboseness is “a ploy for higher legal fees. The more verbiage, the higher the fee.” My running buddy Tony was glad that they don’t charge by the letter, or they’d be "attorneys at supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." (Yes, Tony has 2 young daughters.)

My cousin’s Canuck brother Jack noted that “in Canada, lawyers are called Barristers and Solicitors. Isn’t soliciting illegal? So what are they soliciting?”

My sailing friend Jody noted, “This is as redundant as her friend who went to the “tooth dentist.”

My college roomie John noted that, “perhaps, by using the term, "Attorney at Law", they are minimizing any further ridicule. And like they say about a certain gender, ‘can't live with them and can't live without them’.”

My cousin Jeff noted that “Attorneys-at-law is to avoid confusion with the more intuitive attorneys-in-law, a term that would make everyone think they were sitting down to a meeting with the mother or father lawyer’s spouse.”
My videographer friend Ivan shared this letter about redundant phrases:

From the Department of Redundancy Department, we thank you for your query and will get back with you when we have a moment in time. My banker keeps asking me if I have my PIN Number (Personal Identification Number Number) and I recently explained to the cop who thought I was in a stolen vehicle why I had a mismatched Vehicle Identification ID VIN Number (Vehicle Identification Identification Vehicle Identification Number Number)

This is just to say that why should AAL's, or more appropriately A'sAL (Attorneys at Law) have all the fun. Most lawyers are big A'sALs in many people’s minds. I may even need an A'sAL of an Attorney at Law to represent me for driving with that mismatched Vehicle Identification VIN ID Number.

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

Would you give your right arm to be ambidextrous ? from my son, Zak

Live well…..laugh often….be happy…have a good week….
Hal

PS The history behind the phrase is more interesting for history geeks than important. I know of two explanations behind the phrase. First, the word attorney comes from a medieval French word, attorn, which means to transfer or appoint, as in appointing a representative. Qualifying the word with "at law" explains the context for the appointment. Second, in the old English common law system, which is the main source of our legal traditions, there were two separate courts, those "at law," and those "in equity." You recovered damages (money) in the courts at law; judges issued injunctions (court orders) and the like in the courts at equity. The phrases "attorney at law" or in "attorney in equity" told people about how the lawyer could help them. None of that stuff has much bearing on how courts work today, but you asked, kind of!

My colleague Chris added, there is the 'attorney-in-fact' which is responsible for being either a power of attorney (POA) or letter of attorney in common law (according to Wikipedia)….and that what Hollywood agents are.

…from Hal: Is it coincidental that the most written responses I’ve received are about verbose attorneys?

PS 2: Also from my friend Gian. Last week’s discussion on carbon copies reminded me of the old Ditto machines used by schools, and their distinctive aniline purple dye and interesting smell. The smell was only present when the "run-off" was fresh. I can remember getting slightly damp quizzes and, like most kids, taking a moment to smell the sheet. I don't think any of us ever knew what the hell the smell was, nor why they smelled.

For email, how can you read a blind courtesy copy (bcc)?

In response to last week's question, “For email, how can you read a blind courtesy copy (bcc)?,” my cousin Steve, recuperating from ACL surgery, figured it was not meant to be read but touched, like Braille, which my neighbor Al added, “Duh! Read it with your fingers.” My birthday bud Jon knew that it is done “with a touch screen.”

My dad’s birthday bud Bob said, “you need foresight.”

My temple friend Bill is able to read BCCs that say :.:…:.:::..:... which my birthday bud Adam knows is called “Braille mail.” My innovative friend Bob thought similarly, BCC “is actually Braille courtesy copy.”

…and my role model friend Sherri said “I thought the “cc” and “bcc” stood for “carbon copy” and “blind carbon copy.” Oh the fun I had explaining that to my 12 year old.”

My humorous colleague Chris explained, “Because the courtesy copy must be blind to everyone, this would mean that the courtesy copy doesn't want to be seen and therefore must have an attitude. To state this would mean that we are dealing with artificial intelligence that has an attitude! Everyone run for the hills!

My neighbor, Bob, the engineer, suggested, “Print it in Braille” although our other neighbor Dick “doesn’t do ‘blind copies’ because his printer doesn’t print in Braille.”

My friend Tracey realized “The copy is blind, not the reader. So it is the copy that might have trouble seeing the reader.”


Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

Why do lawyers restate the obvious by saying that they are 'Attorneys at Law'? Are they avoiding confusion with 'Attorneys at Fast Food Restaurants', 'Attorneys at Car Dealerships' or 'Attorneys at Math'? (from my friend Chris)

Live well…..laugh often….be happy…have a good week….

Do coffins have lifetime guarantees?

In response to last week's question, “Do coffins have lifetime guarantees?”, my birthday bud Jon and running friend Tony both agreed, “yes, but who is going to collect it?” My friend Richard noted that “yes, if it’s the end-user’s lifetime, and so far, no customer has complained, right?”

My friend Tracey was being practical when she thought about such a guarantee, “Would you ask for a refund or an exchange?”

My dad reminded me that our cousins, who are undertakers, know that people are dying to get in and they’ve never heard a complaint.”

My friend Gian, whose wife recently had their second child, “Coffins are for the livig; as far as the dead are concerned, they could be buried in Tupperware and they wouldn’t be upset. Think about it. If there is an afterlife outside of my corporeal being, I would be so stoked that I wouldn’t give a rat’s patootie what the living were doing with or to my body.”

Having written this, my dad’s beach buddy Bob concluded, “This has long since been put to rest as a dead issue! The end.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

For email, how can you read a blind courtesy copy (bcc) ?

Live well…..laugh often….be happy…have a good week…..and celebrate Noah Webster’s 250th birthday this Sunday, 9/28, by making up a new word.

Hal

PS: To follow-up the prior week’s question, “can a person flunk a personality test?”, my dog rescue friend Kate noted that “in the old days, it would describe actuaries instead of CPAs. “ And another dog rescue friend, David, replied to Jodie’s concern about trying to assign black and white labels to people’s personalities, saying “There are colored labels, but they cost more.”

What does it mean if you flunk a personality test?

In response to last week's question, “What does it mean if you flunk a personality test?”, my attorney birthday bud Jon wrote, “It means you get your CPA license.” And my civil engineer neighbor Bob said it means “you are probably a good candidate to become an engineer.“ My dad’s beach buddy Bob added, “You must be a very high achiever.”

My dad, an engineer who is loved for his personality, observed that “Everyone has a personality maybe good and maybe bad, but who are we to determine this?” My hard to categorize, home brewing, Internet TV friend Jodie, “The tests are multiple choice answers, each of which puts you into some pre-defined personality category or label. We humans are forever trying to turn our wonderfully rich, colorful world into black and white labels.”

When all is said and done, it was my neighbor Dick who left me thinking, when he wrote, “I'm more worried about people who score marginally...are they Jekyll or are they Hyde?”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

Do coffins have lifetime guarantees?

Live well…..laugh often….be happy…have a good week.

Why is it that it’s good to score under par in golf but it’s bad to be “under par” in anything else?"

In response to last week's question, “Why is it that it’s good to score under par in golf but it’s bad to be “under par” in anything else?”, my cousin Wes approaches golf from the “value perspective -- lowest cost per stroke. Therefore I plan to be over-par in everything including golf!”

Many of my business and personal friends are like my videographer friend Ivan, who wrote, “My golf score and my bowling score are usually the same, so I don't think I am qualified to answer this week’s question.”

My humorous friend Royce wrote, "Under par" is a means to justify and glorify grown men spending hours chasing a little white ball around a very big lawn.” To this, Ivan added, “Golf is the sport that uses the smallest, least expensive ball and has the largest, most expensive playing field, so who can reason with anything golf-related?"

My dad’s beach buddy Bob observed, “If you are under par in golf, you have to be a good putter. On the days you feel under par, at least you can reminisce about the good days while you putter around.”

My college roomie John wrote that the pharma commercials, car ads and self help books make me feel ‘under par.’ Thank goodness for beer ads and fast food ads.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

What does it mean if you flunk a personality test?
(courtesy of my budding author friend Kathleen)

Live well…..laugh often….be happy…have a good week.

Hal

"Golf is like a perfectly good walk, ruined!" --Mark Twain (also from Ivan)