For those of you that actually read your State Bar Journal this month, did you catch the well-researched ethics opinion on whether lawyers can be identified as "Dr."? Finally, we too can have pretentious titles. For details, read the opinion.

Can't you just see where this is going? Makes me cringe.......

Anyone remember the Harris County judge 20 years or so ago who made all lawyers in his court address each other as "Dr.?"

But what about those (generally older) attorneys who only hold an LLB (Bachelor of Laws)?

My dad used to tell of the Harris County Judge who required all attorneys to address each other as Dr. He said trials were somewhat hilarious because of this. The transcripts were even funnier.

There are probably still a few senior lawyers around who 'read for the bar' and probably a few who got to sit for the bar under the previous exemption for long-term state legislators who never went to law school. These folks would have licenses but don't have a law degree. Wonder what the ex-Harris County judge would have them do?

Dang it, John! I read that and was about to go rent "Spies Like Us" to download video of the scene where Chevy Chase and Dan Akyroyd pretend to be doctors and get introduced to all the other doctors at the Red Cross center:

"Doctor?"
"Doctor."
"Doctor?"
"Doctor."
"Doctor?"
"Doctor."
"Doctor?"
"Doctor."
"And ... Doctor."

It would have been a great clip for my next presentation. Way to blow my gig, man.

Don't worry, nobody reads this stuff, right? But, be sure to give me writing credit for your presentation.

I had same thought, but I couldn't figure out how to put it in text and make it funny. I was trying to blend the Dr. Rosenrosen scene from Fletch and the Spies Like Us bit into a quip and I couldn't come up with something clean enough to post.

My wife works in the ivory tower world of academia and is working on her own doctor-hood. However, she frequently notes that in her profession, the only people who insist that they be called "doctor" by others are usually the ones who least deserve it.

Who wants to be called "doctor," anyway? You can't get malpractice insurance, and you probably have to work obscene hours. Or you have to write stuff that no one will ever, EVER read. Wait, all of that does sound like what I do. Come to think of it, Dr. Bradley is right. Where's my mercedes?

But, if "doctor" isn't a good fit, how about "your eminence"? In light of what they make, I think I'd prefer to be called "middle reliever" or "closer."

I believe that's 'chair tosser'. (reserved for certain bullpen personnel)

My sister has a Ph.D. When I got my J.D., my mom said, "Ooo, now both my daughters are doctors." Then she snickered. Shows you what the general public thinks about the doctor thing.

And if a J.D. marries an M.D., do you have a paradox?

It means a house to which you don't want to be invited for dinner and stimulating conversation.

I heard a tale of one of our prosecutors who had a doctor on the stand. He referred to the man by name, who then insisted that the prosecutor refer to him as "Doctor." Whereupon, our prosecutor then informed the "Doctor" that he that he too was a "Doctor," and it went downhill from there. Now, that may just be a stock courthouse story, but I found it amusing at the time (after a couple beers).

Paradox -- Pair O' Docs

I was having a blonde day. Sorry.

Robert

I once heard that physicians were called "doctor" centuries ago, but that lawyers were addressed as "Lord". Now, wouldn't that be cool?

Also, I remember this joke, if I may:

The ABA & AMA decided to hold a joint convention in order to try to get doctors & lawyers to get together & trust each other.

A doctor takes the podium & talks about the advances in medicine over the centuries & how human life has been prolonged.

A lawyer then assumes the podium and says, "While lawyers were writing the declaration of independence, the bill of rights and our constitution, you doctors were putting leaches on George Washington's butt!"