‘”Love Your Lawyer Day“?’, I hear you ask. Champions of justice, the defenders of rights, the people who can charge you $300 an hour to argue about a parking ticket.
Love them or love to hate them, there’s no denying that lawyers play a significant role in our society. That said, when was the last time you saw a lawyer getting a standing ovation for their meticulous contract drafting skills or their brief writing prowess? Exactly.
That’s why we have Love Your Lawyer Day – a day dedicated to appreciating the hardworking legal professionals who keep our justice system churning.
This article will explore the origin of this special day, fun ways to celebrate it, and some common misconceptions about lawyers – all with a much needed dose of levity.
The origin of Love Your Lawyer Day
Okay, this may not come as a huge shock to many of you but Love Your Lawyer Day is a concept that was invented by – you guessed it – a lawyer. But having served time as an underappreciated lawyer myself, I get it.
When I was practicing law and people asked what I did for a living, responding with “I’m an attorney” typically elicited eyerolls, bad lawyer jokes, or countless anecdotes about how the person I was speaking to had been horribly wronged by a lawyer – sometimes all three.
And maybe those responses were fair… but maybe not. After all, it’s not easy to become an attorney. Law school isn’t some three-year walk in the park and the bar exam (at least in California) certainly wasn’t a three-day picnic.
Add to that the emotional toll it takes to endlessly fight on your clients’ behalf, weather punches from opposing counsel, and toil to meet yearly minimum billing requirements, and maybe lawyers deserve at least one day a year to receive a little love.
Consequently, in 2001, an attorney named Nader Anise came up with the idea of Love Your Lawyer Day. Originally, it was an offshoot of a campaign by the American Lawyers Public Image Association (also founded by Anise) to set aside a day called “No Lawyer Bashing or Jokes for a Day.”
So there you have it – one day set aside to appreciate lawyers for their unwavering dedication to the law and their uncanny ability to bill in six-minute increments.
Fun ways to celebrate
Now that you know the origin of Love Your Lawyer Day, let’s talk about how you can celebrate it in style.
Gifts that lawyers will (pretend to) love
Contrary to popular belief, lawyers are people too. As such, they tend to like gifts just as much as anyone else. Here are just a few cool (and hilarious) gift ideas for the barristers in your life:
- The “Tears of Opposing Counsel” tumbler. Just make sure to hide this one any time said opposing counsel is scheduled to come into the office.
- The “I’m Billing You For This Conversation” t-shirt. Who knows? Your lawyer may end up wearing this one under their business suit in pure Superman style.
- The “I am a Lawyer, hear me BORE you” sticker. After all, even lawyers need to laugh at themselves sometimes.
- The billable hour deskclock. This one, while humorous, is actually a great reminder for those less-than-stellar timekeepers in the office.
Office celebrations
It might be fun to bring the whole office into the celebration. Here are a few cool ideas you can easily pull off at a firm luncheon or after-hours party:
- Host a mock trial with office-themed charges: Accuse your office manager of “reckless stapler usage” or your IT guy of “negligent Wi-Fi maintenance.” It’s all in good fun, and it lets your lawyers show off their courtroom skills without any real consequences.
- Organize a lawyer-themed costume contest: Encourage your colleagues to dress up as their favorite fictional lawyers. Who will win: Annalise Keating or Saul Goodman?
- Throw a “lawyer roast” event: Nothing says appreciation like a good roast. Gather your team and let everyone take turns making light-hearted jabs at the quirks and habits of the lawyers in the office. Just make sure to keep it friendly – no one wants a defamation lawsuit on their hands.
Food and drink
Let’s face it, people who work in law firms love free snacks. So, why not throw some of these together:
- Lawyer-themed snacks and beverages: Create a spread of treats like Guilty-pleasure cookies, Case-closed cupcakes, and Contractual-obligation coffee. It’s a delicious way to show your appreciation.
- Legal libations cocktail menu: If you want to celebrate after hours, consider whipping up some signature drinks like the Cross-Examination Cosmo or the Tort-tini. After all, most lawyers love to unwind after a long day of legal shenanigans.
Host a Legal Trivia event
Organize a legal-themed trivia game with questions ranging from obscure legal facts to famous courtroom scenes in movies and TV shows. Create categories such as:
- Obscure legal terms: “What is a ‘usufruct’?” or “Explain the Rule Against Perpetuities”
- Famous legal movies: “In which movie does Tom Cruise play a naval lawyer who ‘can’t handle the truth’?”
- Historic legal cases: “What landmark case established judicial review in the United States?”
Other ways to show appreciation
No time for an organized celebration? That’s a shame but I get it. Here are some additional fun and easy ideas that don’t require everyone to be in the same room at the same time.
Distribute lawyer appreciation memes
The internet is full of hilarious memes, so why not pull a few that celebrate the lawyers in your life? Try sorting through the endless legal memes on Instagram (check @lawyerissues for inspiration) or create your own on sites like Canva. Just be sure to keep them appropriate – after all, this is a workplace.
Design fake legal awards
Everyone in the office is known for something, right? So, why not use Love Your Lawyer Day as a reason to create fake awards recognizing your lawyers’ unique talents and quirks?
Categories could include things like “Most Likely to Pull an All-nighter,” “Most Dramatic Courtroom Performance,” or “Fastest Response Time to Emails About Donuts in the Breakroom.”
Print out a certificate, add some humorous text, and present it to your lawyers with great fanfare. It’s a lighthearted way to show appreciation and have a good laugh.
Create a “Lawyer Survival Kit”
You could also throw together some playful “Lawyer Survival Kits” filled with humorous items that every lawyer allegedly needs. Include things like:
- Stress ball: For those moments when yelling at opposing counsel just isn’t enough.
- Miniature scales of justice: To remind them that balance is key (especially work-life balance).
- Chocolate anything: Because who doesn’t love chocolate?
- Earplugs: For when they need to drown out the constant ringing of client calls.
- Caffeine pills or a coffee gift card: To keep them fueled during those late-night brief writing sessions.
Present the kit with a lighthearted note explaining how the items will help them survive the rigors of legal life.
Common misconceptions about lawyers
So, now that we’ve discussed ways to affirmatively celebrate the lawyers in your life, let’s discuss one other thing you can do for them that will actually mean a lot – help debunk some of the less flattering myths about the profession.
Unfortunately, lawyers often get a bad rap, thanks to a plethora of misconceptions that have been perpetuated by popular culture (and, let’s be honest, a few bad apples within the profession).
Here are some things that aren’t necessarily true about the folks you work with:
All lawyers are rich
This is perhaps the most pervasive myth about lawyers. While some lawyers do make a hefty salary, many are just getting by, paying off student loans, and dealing with the same financial woes as everyone else. So, the next time you see your lawyer driving a modest car, remember they’re probably not secretly hoarding gold bars in their basement.
All lawyers are loud and argumentative
Contrary to popular belief, lawyers don’t spend all their free time picking fights at dinner parties or debating the finer points of municipal codes with their friends. In fact, some of the best and most effective lawyers are the ones who have mastered the art of staying calm.
Lawyers are just ambulance chasers
For some reason, this dig was always highly offensive to me as an attorney. The truth is, most lawyers are in the profession because they have a strong notion of justice.
Moreover, there are ethical rules defining what activities constitute proper solicitation of clients – and I assure you chasing ambulances is not one of them.
So, there you have it. Love Your Lawyer Day is the perfect opportunity to show some appreciation for these often-intense professionals who really do work hard, one billable hour at a time. Whether you’re planning an all-out party or just sharing some silly gifts, don’t forget to take some time out to appreciate the lawyers in your life.
