Doctors regulating lawyers

[PaloAltoCougar]

This is a pretty funny proposal that would have physicians setting legal fees and rationing legal services, etc. Frankly, if I were a physician I'd be very bugged by the efforts of lawyers and insurance types telling me how to run my practice, so while this article is at least somewhat in jest, I feel the guy's pain.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...307651050.html

[il Padrino Ute]

That was a great find, PAC - a very entertaining read.

[UtahDan]

This is a pretty funny proposal that would have physicians setting legal fees and rationing legal services, etc. Frankly, if I were a physician I'd be very bugged by the efforts of lawyers and insurance types telling me how to run my practice, so while this article is at least somewhat in jest, I feel the guy's pain.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...307651050.html

He's right. Neither thing makes sense.

[CardiacCoug]

I think there is actually a pretty useful analogy between the right to legal care and the right to medical care.

Everybody has a right to a public defender when accused of a serious crime. But there is no right to unlimited, on-demand legal care with no regard to cost.

In an analogous manner, one can argue that everybody has a right to basic medical care but not to unlimited, on-demand medical care with no regard to cost.

[UtahDan]

I think there is actually a pretty useful analogy between the right to legal care and the right to medical care.

Everybody has a right to a public defender when accused of a serious crime. But there is no right to unlimited, on-demand legal care with no regard to cost.

In an analogous manner, one can argue that everybody has a right to basic medical care but not to unlimited, on-demand medical care with no regard to cost.

Interesting point, let me give you some additional context.

Public defenders are only available in cities for the most part, everywhere else it is a court appointed lawyer who has put them self on a "court appointed list." While there are some very sharp lawyers doing both, there aren't a lot because it doesn't pay that well. If you are good in the court room you move on to paying clients. So the quality is only fair. This is even more true because PD offices have huge case loads and private practice lawyers on the list make money on volume. You are only going to get but so much time and effort from them under the best circumstances.

Second, you only get one if you qualify financially. Make too much and you don't, and you only get one for jailable offenses, so minor offenses you are on your own. Also, if you lose, you do pay the cost of your appointed attorney (that last part is not universal).

So I guess it is accurate to say that you have a right to one sometimes, if you qualify, and that the quality is pretty average.