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The words “Good Lawyer” sound like an oxymoron. Films and TV have painted this profession and everyone who serves in it as evil, focusing solely on the pursuit of money and not at all interested in who they hurt on the way. But that’s not the whole truth. Here are ways you can make a positive difference.
Environmental Law
There are countless laws dictating carbon footprints and how companies are allowed and not allowed to treat the environment. But billion-dollar multinational brands are not exactly well known for following the rules and when they break them, they usually just throw money at the problem until it goes away.
That is until lawyers step in to prosecute and make sure justice is done. From the VW emissions scandal to wildlife protection, environmental law is all-encompassing and helps to keep God’s green earth good and green. Lawyers are needed more now than ever because let’s be honest, while we have to commend activist groups for putting a halt to deforestation and trying their best to get in the way, it’s these guys who make the big changes and ensure that the work of those activists means something.
Wrongful Imprisonment
Lawyers are often the first line of defense against injustice. If you are wrongly convicted of a crime then it is the lawyer who can state the facts and make sure your innocence is proved. Mistakes can be made and innocent people can end up in jail. At this point, if they don’t have the money to hire a lawyer then no one cares and they are left to serve out their time. But there are many wrongful imprisonment lawyers out there who specialize in this area and do their best to get innocent people out of jail.
They carefully chose their cases, focusing on those who have been imprisoned despite contradicting or absent evidence and they make it their goal to help them. The money isn’t great, but the feeling of seeing justice done and playing a role in getting an innocent person out of prison is payment enough.
These lawyers have helped to get innocent people out of life sentences and even deaths sentence. According to the Guardian, as many as 4% of people sentenced to death may be innocent, suggesting that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. So, if you value justice and human life, this is a great area of practice.
Medical Malpractice
This is one of those areas that is often dismissed, with suggestions they are just looking to make a few bucks off of a small mistake. But that’s far from the case. The US has some of the most expensive healthcare in the world, with people being charged tens of thousand and even hundreds of thousands for treatments, many of which seem to be nothing more than a rouse to get them addicted to opiates and opioids, which are actively being marketed on TV and billboards. Can you imagine what would happen if these treatments went wrong, who would be responsible in an industry that already takes a lot of liberties with patient health? That’s where these lawyers come in and it’s why their role is a just one.
These cases are always justified and some of them are heartbreaking, putting the lawyers who get justice in a very good light. For example, Stacey Galette went in for surgery for an ectopic pregnancy in 2014. It should have been a standard procedure, but mistakes during it caused her to spend months in intensive care and to have three cardiac arrests. On top of that, she was forced to have a colostomy, many skin grafts and even an amputation.
It is a chilling and terrifying story. She was put through hell because the physicians didn’t follow standard procedure. Her life will never be the same again and no amount of money will change that, but can you imagine how good it would feel to get some semblance of justice for a person like this?
Helping to Change the Law
Finally, you must not forget that it is lawyers and cases that change the law. There are lawmakers and amendments that help to push through new changes, but it’s a misconception that all laws are made and changed by people sitting in a room discussing what’s right and wrong. A lot of law is up in the air, with no one really sure what is right or wrong and everyone waiting for precedent to be set before their mind is made up.
This precedent comes in the form of a lawsuit and it’s how many game-changing laws have come into effect all over the world, especially when they concern human rights. For instance, many Death with Dignity laws were changed in both the US and UK because of cases brought against people who only wanted to help their loved ones die with dignity when they were suffering from terminal illnesses. And then you have laws brought against the death penalty, gun crime, and other hot topics.
As a lawyer it’s not just about siding with the mighty dollar above all else, it’s not just about squabbling over personal injury lawsuits and divorces. It’s about being in a position where you can actually change the world for the better and that’s a commendable thing no matter how you look at it.
Workplace Injuries
Personal injury is one of the fields that gets a lot of negative press when it comes to law. They can be seen as seedy, but it can be seen another way entirely. Let’s assume for a minute that your job is to work a machine that requires a skilled touch. There are many such machines and many skilled jobs of this nature (this site has explained the difference if you’re not sure) This machine malfunctions one day, severing a hand or finger and leaving you in a position where you can no longer perform the job you were paid for. The company fires you, and you’re left without a job, without money, and without a hand.
Personal injury lawyers don’t spend their days getting money for fakers who slip and fall in supermarkets and look to sue everyone who so much as looked at them. They spend their days helping people like this, which is a commendable act. They can determine why the saw was defective, they can make sure the company is liable and they can get money for the claimant that ensures they never need to work again, which may be just as well in this case.
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Sure, there are many lawyers who will knowingly defend some incredibly evil people and even try to get them off. This is something we all struggle to find peace with, even if you accept the insistence that everyone—evil or otherwise—is entitled to a free trial and someone to defend them. But there are also lawyers who do good, lawyers who get money for people who have been wronged, lawyers who are actually helping to change the world for the better.
If you have always dreamed of becoming a lawyer, standing in front of courtrooms and winning over the jury to a roaring round of applause, but you have always worried about accumulating negative karma, then take the above into consideration and look to become a good lawyer.
