Why We Hate Lawyers!
One of William Shakespeare’s most famous lines appears in Henry VI, Part 2, written in the 1590s. In the scene, rebel leader Jack Cade, a pretender to the throne of England, is describing how he’ll improve the country once he ascends to power when one of his henchmen—“Dick the Butcher,” a murderer—blurts out: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”
Over four hundred years have passed since the “Bard of Avon” penned Henry VI, and yet the sentiment still endures. A recent Google search of the phrase “why we hate lawyers” resulted in an astounding 36,800,000 million sites. Does this mean that lawyers comprise the most hated profession? Imagine the following: Young, altruistic students dreaming of becoming modern-day Atticus Finches. Then, after trudging through years of law school, passing the extremely difficult bar exam, reality sets in: Most people hate you!
Unfortunately, I occupied an unenviable front-row seat in a tragedy that gave me valuable insight and a deeper understanding as to why society despises lawyers. Not just any attorney, mind you, but a certain brand of attorney.
When the Church of Scientology goes to court, it uses high-dollar lawyers to overawe and intimidate its less-than-wealthy opponents. This type of lawyer plays the game to the hilt: overwhelming the courts with motions and counter-suits, escalating the costs by dragging out their cases, and using every dirty trick—including outright lies—to impugn the integrity of their opponents. This is something critics of the religion, former Church members who’ve spoken out against Scientology, and bereaved mothers seeking justice have all come to understand and expect.
These tactics are all a part of the Church of Scientology’s “fair game” doctrine, an aggressive policy first described by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in the mid-1950s. According to Hubbard, Scientologists, and their lawyers, when dealing with enemies of the Church, should “always find or manufacture enough threat against them to cause them to sue for peace. Don’t ever defend. Always attack.” Lies, propaganda, defamation of character—they’re all a part of this religion’s “fair game.” And, of course, the law can be bent to Scientology’s will. “The purpose of the suit,” wrote Hubbard, “is to harass and discourage rather than to win. The law can be used easily to harass, and enough harassment on somebody . . . will generally be sufficient to cause his professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly.”
But not all attorneys are cut from the same cloth. In a landmark case, lawyer Kennan Dandar helped the family of Lisa McPherson win a settlement against the Church of Scientology. In November of 1995, McPherson, an avid Scientologist, evidently suffered a mental breakdown in Clearwater, Florida, after a minor traffic accident. At the hospital—following the tenets of her faith—she refused psychiatric observation, saying that she wanted to be treated by fellow Scientologists. Taken to Clearwater’s Fort Harrison Hotel—the Church’s headquarters—McPherson was dead 17 days later, her corpse’s condition proving that she’d suffered from dehydration and lack of care. In 2004, after years of litigation, the civil suit was settled out of court.
Ken Dander also represented my son’s estate when we sued the Church of Scientology and several of its celebrity followers for my son Kyle’s wrongful death. (Kyle Brennan, who was not a Scientologist, died in 2007 under suspicious circumstances while visiting his Scientologist father in Clearwater, Florida.) In the process of litigating against the Church, Dandar was subjected to years of harassment, emotional stress, unnecessary counter-litigation, and character assassination simply because he wanted to help a dead boy’s family find answers and uncover the truth.
The war tactics employed by the Church of Scientology lawyers to destroy Dandar were almost successful. In these two high-publicity cases, Dandar devoted a total of 19 years to helping two bereaved families.
So, let’s not hate all lawyers, just those who abuse their power at the expense of the broken, the vulnerable, and the voiceless.
Copyright©2023 Victoria Britton
Meet The Highly Litigious Church of Scientology’s Most Trusted Lawyers
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-church-of-scientologys-most-trusted-lawyers-2012-9
https://thetruthforkylebrennan.com/2016/04/08/johnson-pope-ruppel-burns-llp/
https://thetruthforkylebrennan.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=6299&action=edit
Attorney Ken Dandar
https://thetruthforkylebrennan.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=6299&action=edit
This is just terrible. I am so sorry for your loss.
This hit home big time for me! I think if the Old Bard were here now he would say it’s all over if he got a chance to examine the current legal profession and the court systems!
The To Kill A Mockingbird days of noble virtuous gentlemen like Atticus or say an Honest Abe Lincoln were special times but now are more than a rarity in this overly commercialized greasy fingers money grubbing materialistic totally secular world of Law with many deeply nefarious unconscionable persons running around calling themselves lawyers but quite the contrary; they are thieves and scoundrels! The very thing that many of We the People used to hire lawyers for to protect us from; they have become!
I was set up for a fall in a government highly politically charged job which was no better than working in a coven of witches and devils! So I took the fall and when it came time to see if my health would come back or if I would with not enough income lose my home I hired a lawyer to help me navigate through the injury court system. But as I suspected from the start this would be a bad experience and as it turned out he the lawyer would gladly walk me through the system or meat grinder, to get me some chump change and no job to go back to! So I made my own presentation one fine day to the judge after a year of watching my life slipping into a dark game of politics! But by God’s grace the judge presiding over my dilemma was the only one out of a dozen in that system that would end up allowing me to do what I requested which was to handle a complicated medical case against a government employer backed by a huge law firm of heavy hitters with and agenda to crush me; and his judge doing it, allowing me to jump in sick and all pro se, with not a single law course under my belt was unheard of in these parts; but I had a few strong Trump cards to play by naturally the grace of God, and that with all of my scientific minded knowledge from grade school on into college, and then the coup d’ grace, a top scientist/medical doctor who was a God send; I only needed to use my deductive logic and play my cards right allowing this wonderful saint of a woman doctor to build my case with medical forensics and absolute science to have an irrefutable airtight case, which in the end after 4 years I prevailed and fought my physical illness as well to regain much of my general health back! I had to be very cognizant of the fact that I had some powerful enemies that wanted me to fail or rub the system the wrong way making a ruckus so they could come down on me like a ton of bricks; so humanitarian world we live in isn’t it! I did have a few Trump cards as I said but all of it provided by God’s will and my faith in Him! That is the moral to the story; which is, with God anything is possible! I think of Job!
But I pity so many people who didn’t or don’t have what I had and who are lost from the start in a convoluted rotten to the core system rigged corrupted system that cares nothing about people or justice as it should! It’s all numbers and agendas so the smoke and mirrors parlor tricks continue unabated!
Great article and good education abounds here for those that need enlightenment and inspiration!
God bless you and yours!
Brother in Christ Jesus,
Lawrence Morra III
I still do pro bono work in Italy and that’s all.
You are one of the good guys Allen! It’s actually a shame you left the profession.
As a lawyer, I object! (Just kidding – One of the many reasons I left the profession. 😉
I couldn’t agree more, Katelon!
Yes, I’ve had some good lawyers helping me in my situations and at the same time seen the dark ones. The legal system has been taken over by the dark. Once the light takes charge again, the legal system will be much different.
This is so powerful! I had no idea that any of this was happening. This is really mind blowing. I am glad it worked out in the courts, but I can see how there are so many cases that so not see justice.
Valuable post❤️
Well, I don’t know the situation there but here, in India, the courts alongside Medical profession and the police who are working 24×7 mate 🤷♂️
Every profession has good and bad people and so does our legal fraternity. Btw who doesn’t love Shakespeare!
Lol I don’t feel bad about that line despite being a law scholar 😂
Thought provoking write up
Great of yours👍 too
Thank you
Great 👍
I don’t think people hate them as a human being but some are downright criminal and have no morals. There’s nothing they won’t do to win even when they know it’s wrong or their client is evil
In Shakespeare’s dramas-we find this fact.he was absolutely right .
This is a hell of heinous crime and for the Church of Scientology to still have lawyers backing em up is just tragic!
Nice post! There are only a few good lawyers in this whole world, others all are lawyers with just one big motive and that is to fill their pockets with money. Because of this the system is also a lot corrupted, unfortunately.
Good
I do hope you are making progress with the case. On lawyers, I think the way the system has evolved is that the odds are heavily weighed in favour of money. And I don’t think that would have been anyone’s intention. I need we need to put wise heads together to ensure there is a level playing field where lesser resources is not an impediment to getting justice.
Nice post 👍😁
Actually, I like most lawyers. Of course, there are those who are ambulance chasers and shysters.
well said and eye opening… which I sadly knew. Blessing to you for your loss
An amazing share my fiend and sadly so true.. We will keep praying on the fall of law.
wow, I seriously enjoyed reading this. Love the opening with Shakespeare’s line from Henry VI, Part 2. I can imagine the line being spewed out toward the audience.
A client of mine was a successful criminal lawyer, he was truly the salt of the earth, making it easy to believe when he walked away from his practice to open a bait and tackle shop on a beautiful lake!
Thank you, Anna! Coming from a former lawyer makes your comment all the more powerful.
As a former lawyer, I fully agree. Such tactics do nothing to further the cause of justice. That they are employed in support of a supposed “religion” is all the more despicable.
lawyers are the scum of humanity, greetings from Italy
A true message for all the existing lawyers as well as the younger generation of young people who aspire to become a Lawyer one day. Above every individual in the society, lawyer should be true to his or her profession because otherwise innocent lives would be at stake. I remember reading the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”. This book really teaches an important message to the society. But it is said that even after so many great works through which writers have tried to set the right path in the society for the generations to follow there are wrong incidents still taking place. Anyways my heart is with the lawyers who unbendingly are working towards justice and saving the lives of innocent people.
Best wishes from The Strong Traveller and have a great day.
Do have a look at my blog whenever you find the time. There are some travel and lifestyle content which you may find interesting. Your thoughts will surely be very valuable. Stay connected. 😊
I am speechless. THANK YOU for the follow! I am humbled and appreciative after reading your words, and my heart goes out to you. Together we CAN prevail. Take good care!
Thanks for sharing your views and experiences with scientology.
Good points. Legal practice like politics has been polluted by the money minded. A fresh lawyer has no corruption in him. He is only corrupted by the system. A corrupt lawyer is corrupted by his eye for big money as you have rightly said and it’s only few that can stand on the side of justice and earn little. We still count on the very few.
Thanks for sharing. Really drives us to think. Shudder that most politicians were lawyers
Thank you, Zita!
Excellent post
I am one of the very few people I know who graduated law school, passed the bar and said, “Whoa!” I did not want to be the people I graduated with. I use my legal background daily but have never “been” a lawyer (thank God).
I’m with you, Victoria! Lawyers are the greatest liars in the world! It’s why they’re lawyers! And most politicians start out as lawyers! Go figure!
My heart hurts for you!
I also belong to legal fraternity and your article is refreshing and inspiring.
I’m sorry to hear about the tragic death of your son at such an early age – that would be hard enough, but the questions surrounding the circumstances must be a very heavy burden to bear. As a social worker (before I retired) I understand the mental health aspects of the case. Best of luck to you and your family.
Wow! Congratulations Victoria!
Very informative write:
Scientology, to me, is a cult of greed and power. Where else would some lawyers and even movie stars choose to go?
Well deserved 🙂 Keep blogging!
Thank you, Petrel41!
Congratulations, Victoria!
I have nominated your blog for the Vincent Ehendero Blogger Award.
More about this nomination is at
https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2020/05/15/vincent-ehindero-blogger-award-thank-you-thebibliophilewriter/
Gracias mi amigo. Muy apreciado!
En mi familia abundan los abogados (buf) como antes abundaron los mineros (siempre derrotados pero siempre invencibles). Y ayer mismo vi una película sobre William que recomiendo: El último acto. Salud y suerte.
A great comment, Andrea! Thank you for telling it like it is! I’m in complete agreement with you. Thanks so much for the encouragement and support.
A lawyer like Ken Dander must be one in a million.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a thought-provoking response. Taking on the Church of Scientology isn’t a decision that is made lightly. I’m in complete agreement with you. Especially when it comes to the importance of documenting evidence and establishing a pattern of behavior. How unfortunate you decided not to pursue a career in law. The profession needs more caring and ethical people like you. Thanks again for reaching out to me. It was much appreciated!
I am so glad you have this website. People need to know the truth about this poor excuse for a tax-exempt Religion. It is so unconscionable and tragic what happened to Kyle. It is apparent from Church of Scientology’s bottom feeder lawyers they succeeded in convincing the US courts that they fit the LEGAL definition of tax exempt. I pray someday we figure out how to have legal and moral qualifications before we call a money-making, corrupt entity a religion. Please keep posting and posting.
As civil liberties are comprised for personal and health security, the need for good and compassionate lawyers are now more than ever to uphold fundamental rights of the citizens.
One of the things this pandemic has done is to demonstrate what people and jobs really matter to society. Lawyers don’t fit into that category.
Once upon a time, I had a license to practice law in Florida. The experience of going through law school was positive for me, albeit bittersweet in that the market was saturated and I couldn’t find work. The law is still something I care about. But there are some people who are in it just for the money.
They’re despicable even as law students. There are rules designed to limit the damage they cause, but if they’re good enough, they’ll walk right up to the line as close as possible. Scientology does things which seem to cross it.
I can’t stress enough the importance of documenting Scientology’s behavior. Your case might be over, but if you track them long enough, you can establish evidence of a pattern of behavior. This pattern can help future lawyers prove to a judge that Scientology’s acting in bad faith.
This is a very precious post. As far as Shakespeare is considered we celebrate his four known tragedy, comical play and sonnets. But Henry 6 will be in reach only to a widespread voracious reader. Thanks for sharing this Victoria 🤩👍😍💞
SHAKESPEARE IS STILL THE KING ☆☆☆☆☆