[Jonathan Adler, December 13, 2007 at 9:43am] Trackbacks
Alberto Gonzales - "Lawyer of the Year":

The ABA Journal has named former AG Alberto Gonzales as one of their "lawyers of the year" for 2007. More here.

uh clem (mail):
Correction: Gonzo is the Lawyer of the Year. The others are merely runners-up.

But take a look at the list of runners-up, especially the last one: THE LAWYER-BLOGGER.

Congratulations Eugene, Orin, Jonathan, et. al. You are all lawyers of the year! How's it feel to be lumped in with Alberto Gonzales, Scooter Libby, Monica Goodling, Michael Nilfong, and David Addington?
12.13.2007 9:58am
NatSecLawGuy (mail):
Yeah, well I was Time Person of the Year last year. Take that AG Gonzales.

On a more serious note, so the lesson to budding pre-law and law students is: "To get accolades in this profession its not whether you do good or bad, just how much attention you draw to the acts." Great! Hope its the cornerstone of my PR class next semester.
12.13.2007 10:18am
Scott Scheule (mail) (www):
*Additional sarcastic comment here.*
12.13.2007 10:41am
EricMess:
Completely worthless information..."Let's make a story about a story!" Thanks, Captain Obvious.
12.13.2007 11:32am
CJColucci:
If memory serves, Time made Hitler and, possibly, Stalin, its Man of the Year back when. The award is a measure of consequence, not approval.
12.13.2007 12:08pm
EH (mail):
So has it always been that the ABA Journal aspires to Time Magazine's standards?
12.13.2007 1:03pm
hattio1:
Time made Hitler his man of the year in 32 or 33. It wasn't that he was a man of consequence, but rather that they were shutting their eyes to what should have been obvious.
12.13.2007 1:12pm
NatSecLawGuy (mail):
CJColucci says: If memory serves, Time made Hitler and, possibly, Stalin, its Man of the Year back when. The award is a measure of consequence, not approval

I agree that is what they are measuring, but should it be what they are measuring?
12.13.2007 1:12pm
Syd Henderson (mail):
CJColucci: Time's been chickening out of the really negative choices for a while, ever since they named Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. That's how Rudolph Giuliani got to be person of the year in 1981; they weren't about to name Osama bin Laden.
12.13.2007 1:16pm
Syd Henderson (mail):
Ah, Giuliani was 2001, of course, not 1981.
12.13.2007 1:17pm
MDJD2B (mail):

CJColucci says: If memory serves, Time made Hitler and, possibly, Stalin, its Man of the Year back when. The award is a measure of consequence, not approval

I agree that is what they are measuring, but should it be what they are measuring?


It's their magazine. There's no should. If they want to measure influentiality or notoriety instead of goodness, then that's fine. As long as they do so in good faith, and say that's what they'r doing.
12.13.2007 1:51pm
Scott Scheule (mail) (www):
Obviously, Time--as well as the ABA Journal--should do whatever pisses off the hippies.

I applaud the Journal's latest selection.

Don't attach too much important to this though. Remember, this is the same publication that made "My Cousin Vinney" attorney of the year back in '96.
12.13.2007 2:28pm
CJColucci:
It's their magazine. There's no should.
Odd that people on this site, of all places, need to be reminded of such things.
12.13.2007 2:55pm
NatSecLawGuy (mail):
Being a member of the ABA I have no problem asking the should question for the ABA Journal. As for Time I agree and retract.
12.13.2007 3:24pm
EH (mail):
Remember, this is the same publication that made "My Cousin Vinney" attorney of the year back in '96.

Nuff said, really.
12.13.2007 3:38pm
PLR:
Based on the list of runners-up, in order for me to be Lawyer of the Year I will have to be appointed by Bush or hired by Cheney (not happening), run for prosecutor (too expensive), lie to a grand jury (ethically unpalatable), or sleep with a blonde celebrity.

Hmm.
12.13.2007 3:43pm
godelmetric (mail):
As John Dean put it, "Frankly, I have a degree of sympathy for Alberto Gonzales, who I suspect is a terrific Texas real estate attorney."

I think that's a fair assessment -- from a man who's probably one of the best authorities you could find on the matter.
12.13.2007 9:21pm