Love Your Lawyer Day – November 4, 2022, history, significance
Love Your Lawyer Day is observed on the first Friday of November, making it November 4 this year. This is when we honor lawyers in the U.S. and encourage them to keep going, despite the often negative reputation they have. Even Shakespeare had nasty things to say about lawyers!
This is despite many lawyers doing a wonderful job in tough circumstances, and with an ever-changing work environment. Law and the legal system has been around almost since the beginning of mankind in various forms, and despite those who abuse it, it is still a beacon of hope for those inclined towards justice.
History of Love Your Lawyer Day
While codes of law have certainly been around for a very long time (think back to the Jewish historian, Moses), the most noted historical first codification of law is credited to the Babylonian King Hammurabi of Mesopotamia. This dates back to some time in the 18th century, BC.
Consisting of 282 laws, the Hammurabi Code described a variety of everyday situations, from punishments for various crimes to the wages to be paid for services such as wagon driving and medical practitioners. This accounted for well over half the laws, while familial laws such as divorce, sexual behavior, and paternity issues covered nearly a third of the laws.
One of the most notable laws in this grouping was a control put in place to ensure that the law was enacted fairly. In fact, if a judge was found guilty of judging incorrectly, they were fined!
Today, modern codes of law are far more involved, including expectations of conduct of business, building codes, and a labyrinthine series of regulations that can only be understood with dedicated study and a commitment to the law.
Since codes of law have gotten ever more convoluted, they have brought about the rise of the importance of legal professionals, those friendly neighborhood lawyers. The lawyer’s job is to help with the understanding of the law, how it affects the rights of the common person as well as the government.
Every day lawyers are hired to defend those accused of crimes, represent those who cannot defend themselves, and work in every aspect of modern society. They help file paperwork, apply for permits and licenses, build businesses, draft documents, and generally keep society moving. Much as they may be generally reviled, people owe much of our civilization’s smooth operations to these masters of the legal code.
It is with this in mind that Love Your Lawyer Day was created in 2001. The inspiration came from attorney Nader Anise when ALPIA (American Lawyers Public Image Association) had started a campaign of “No Lawyer Bashing or Jokes for a Day.”
This is why ALPIA put together this day: to show love and appreciation for these most unloved of civil servants.
For just one day, they ask that you set aside the lawyer jokes, the subtle bashing around the water cooler, and remember that without these legal warriors, people would have no one to help them navigate the complex world of law!
After all, while lawyers may have a bad reputation, it’s often forgotten how much good many of them actually do to help people.
LOVE YOUR LAWYER DAY TIMELINE
Ancient times
Duels Instead of Law
Before the legal system is created, legal disputes are settled by fights, often to the death and with very much an eye-for-an-eye approach.
41–54 A.D.
Law Becomes Official in Rome
The Roman Emperor Claudius becomes the first to legalize representation and advocacy as a profession.
1231
Oath Before Practice
Two French councils mandated that lawyers have to swear an oath of admission before practicing in the bishop’s courts in their regions.
1846
No degree, No Law
Lawyers in England are required to have university degrees.
