By George I Think They've Got It!

Sometimes I feel lawyers get a bad rap. There are a few bad apples (I've met some mealy red-delicious in my day, believe you me), but generally I don't think lawyers are as bad as everyone makes them out to be. They are generally over-worked and sometimes a bit too argumentative, but other than that, I think lawyers have what it takes to be good people.

So when I read this article, I was somewhat torn. Apparently, young associates, with their crazy tattoos and nonchalant manner, are a threat to the good ol'' boy club of law firms. So much so, that they now hire outside help to train them the social graces that is befitting of the upper classes.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's nice for a law firm to pay for a class that teaches you about wine, but it's the end that frightens me. They're creating associate robots. Apparently, it's not ok to be ignorant about wine, have tattoos, or dress in anything but proper attire. How about having a diversity of ideas and perspectives? Don't get me wrong, some of the attorneys I've met have pretty poor social skills, but forcing them to take a class on etiquette and proper behavior? This whole thing smacks of Pygmalion. As in, you could be the most brilliant legal mind this side of Greenwich Mean Time, but it just won't do if you can't play golf and tell that funny story about when you and your Lacrosse team went up to your parents summer home on the cape. Remember that? Oh, James, bring the car around will you? It's so hard to find good help these days.