working in public interest

[sandra]

for those of you working public interest - or for "grassroots" organizations, how many do you find that your group actually makes an effort to identify with the people? for example, if you are an attorney or law student working in public interest, do you make try to get to know your client, etc., or do you just want to do the work and get out of there.

i've noticed that some criminal defense and even civil rights attorneys will try to distance themselves from their clients because ... like, well, they're in a different class or something. it's all kinda bizarre...b/c they want to represent the people...but they don't want to look like they are one of them. does that make sense?

currently, the crim defense atty i work for is cordial and respectful towards clients and attorneys alike - i'm just wondering if he is the exception.

[TyroneK(prettypretty)]

The people I've worked with run the gamut. In legal services, you have to identify with your clients or else you get nothing done. The people you try to help get hung up on your differences no matter what, so you have to minimize them just to do normal lawyer work.

But all the defense and prosecutorial attorneys I know are very distant. The more prestigious the agency or the branch, the less they get buddy-buddy with the clients. I think it has a lot to do with why they're lawyers in the first place and what kind of policy goals they're trying to achieve. I think a lot of public interest law isn't really client-interest law necessarily. I doubt that the ACLU really can afford to care too much about its clients beyond what they think is needed to get their political goals done. PI work ends up being work that cares more about society as a whole.

Also, if you're a defense attorney, you probably don't want to get too chummy because your client will likely end up incarcerated and you don't want to build up the expectations too high or get too attached. Sort of like most doctors... But that's just conjecture.

[sandra]

Originally Posted by VBKao

Also, if you're a defense attorney, you probably don't want to get too chummy because your client will likely end up incarcerated and you don't want to build up the expectations too high or get too attached. Sort of like most doctors... But that's just conjecture.

i completely disagree with that. some other attorneys may not agree with my philosophy - but the very reason what i am going into criminal defense is because i want to be a voice for the person. and how the hell can i be a voice for the person if i don't know who they are. i actually can't stand attorneys who talk smack about their clients - esp. if it's about their client being ignorant or low-class or anything like that. of COURSE they're ignorant - who's the attorney? and why would you expect any more of them given the fact that you went to law school and they didn't? if the attorney can't articulate the law in a manner that they'd understand - then i believe it's the attorney's problem. he just sucks.

[kboy75]

Well, I am not an attorney, but I do have a very close friend who works for SF public defender. He also worked with juveniles in Alameda county.

He is one of those people that really connects with his clients. Actually he is a little extreme. He loves working with the kids and takes them out to lunch and stuff, visits them at home when he is in their neighborhoods... just loves to talk to them. Often there is not much he can do for them because they their cases are so weak, but he tries to be a positive influence and help them get back on the right track. Kids he represented years back call him up just to say hi (or get out of trouble, hehe). That guy on the OC is like the TV version of my friend (except that guy on the OC seems to make too much money for a PD, hahahaha). He really loves his work. His social life kinda suffers, but he just loves it so much that I just throw my arms up in the air and say, "hey as long as you're happy..."

But clearly, there are people that he works with that put in the minimal time and effort possible, according to him. I mean, he does realize that often you just have to give a guilty plea, pay fines, get on probation, and/or do community service... but at least he doesn't dehumanize his clients.