When do pre-meds realize lawyers are not their friends

[LifeTake2]

First a disclaimer, I know 2 lawyers personally and they are both good friends so this is not an indictment of the profession as a whole.

Ok, I've never known a physician that wasn't in support of tort reform; and that doesn't hate the cost of malpractice in this country.

YET, on this site there is a thread probably once a week that gets the reply 'get an attorney'. May be to fix a conduct violation, or get rid of a criminal offense you committed, force a professor to change a grade, etc.

When do pre-meds stop assuming lawyers will solve all their problems???

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[CodeBlu]

First a disclaimer, I know 2 lawyers personally and they are both good friends so this is not an indictment of the profession as a whole.

Ok, I've never known a physician that wasn't in support of tort reform; and that doesn't hate the cost of malpractice in this country.

YET, on this site there is a thread probably once a week that gets the reply 'get an attorney'. May be to fix a conduct violation, or get rid of a criminal offense you committed, force a professor to change a grade, etc.

When do pre-meds stop assuming lawyers will solve all their problems???

When they don't get their problems solved?

Not all lawyers suck... but the ambulance chasers definitely do.

I am a scribe currently, and I have to be very careful about what I document in the chart because the word "lethargic" for example, is a favorite of the lawyers for not doing a spinal tap to r/o meningitis.

 

[NKChemEng]

I don't know what the issue is - since when is hiring a lawyer a bad move when trying to solve a possible legal question ...

 

[LifeTake2]

I don't know what the issue is - since when is hiring a lawyer a bad move when trying to solve a possible legal question ...

A possible legal question...yes.

But most of the suggestions I see on here don't belong in a court room. And frankly, most of the academic & conduct violations are bound under mediation contracts at most schools so you are welcome to get a lawyer but there is not much they are going to do.

I rarely see the I didn't do anything and got in trouble. I see "i screwed up, but didn't realize it would keep me from medical school" with the reply, well since you knew it was wrong but not THAT wrong get a lawyer and make the school forgive you

 

[DrBowtie]

A possible legal question...yes.

But most of the suggestions I see on here don't belong in a court room. And frankly, most of the academic & conduct violations are bound under mediation contracts at most schools so you are welcome to get a lawyer but there is not much they are going to do.

I rarely see the I didn't do anything and got in trouble. I see "i screwed up, but didn't realize it would keep me from medical school" with the reply, well since you knew it was wrong but not THAT wrong get a lawyer and make the school forgive you

They aren't your friends, but you are paying them for their expertise.

And much of practicing law is about what goes on outside of the courtroom. One nasty letter ripping to shreds a schools "policy" is often enough to reverse decisions as its not worth it to the administrators to litigate anything further.

 

[willen101383]

How about people who want to go to medical school do the following:

Play by the rules.

Stop bitching and whining about everything and jump through the hoops like everyone before you.

Dont cheat.

Dont harass anyone.

Fly under the radar, get your good grades/MCAT, and GTFO without doing anything stupid.

Dont get why this is so difficult for some people.


And OP I agree with you...most of these situations arent "courtroom situations." But if people werent idiots and played by the rules there would be no need for a lawyer in the first place.

 

[mipp0]

They aren't your friends, but you are paying them for their expertise.

And much of practicing law is about what goes on outside of the courtroom. One nasty letter ripping to shreds a schools "policy" is often enough to reverse decisions as its not worth it to the administrators to litigate anything further.

+1

I doubt the school wants to engage in a prolonged legal battle over an issue where proof is lacking (if that's the case).

 

[NickNaylor]

How about people who want to go to medical school do the following:

Play by the rules.

Stop bitching and whining about everything and jump through the hoops like everyone before you.

Dont cheat.

Dont harass anyone.

Fly under the radar, get your good grades/MCAT, and GTFO without doing anything stupid.

Dont get why this is so difficult for some people.


And OP I agree with you...most of these situations arent "courtroom situations." But if people werent idiots and played by the rules there would be no need for a lawyer in the first place.

But I can get anything I want by suing people!

 

[alexandertg6]

The system is flawed, but that doesnt mean we shouldnt do our best to work the system in a given situation. Would it be better to work at McDonalds and complain about how we couldnt get into med school because we were protesting the system?

 

[45408]

Ok, I've never known a physician that wasn't in support of tort reform; and that doesn't hate the cost of malpractice in this country.

And I bet every single one of them would hire a lawyer in an instant when they got sued. Why would you associate all lawyers with malpractice? That's like claiming all physicians are OB/gyns.

YET, on this site there is a thread probably once a week that gets the reply 'get an attorney'. May be to fix a conduct violation, or get rid of a criminal offense you committed, force a professor to change a grade, etc.

When do pre-meds stop assuming lawyers will solve all their problems???

Unless every reply is "get a lawyer," then it's just one suggestion among many. It's not a bad idea, but most of the time, I probably wouldn't be inclined to get a lawyer since it would just up the ante.

 

[K31]

YET, on this site there is a thread probably once a week that gets the reply 'get an attorney'. May be to fix a conduct violation, or get rid of a criminal offense you committed, force a professor to change a grade, etc.

When do pre-meds stop assuming lawyers will solve all their problems???

Lawyers may be slimy bastards who will do anything to win a case, but if you ever need to hire one, he's your slimy bastard who will do anything to win your case

 

[alexandertg6]

Lawyers may be slimy bastards who will do anything to win a case, but if you ever need to hire one, he's your slimy bastard who will do anything to win your case

This is what I wanted to say, but you said it better.

 

[vc7777]

Why would you associate all lawyers with malpractice? That's like claiming all physicians are OB/gyns...

+1 It's actually worse than this, I think. But your point is still true. Calling an entire profession names really just reflects poorly on the speaker. Some would say it shows a high level of ignorance and lack of critical thinking.

 

[LifeTake2]

+1 It's actually worse than this, I think. But your point is still true. Calling an entire profession names really just reflects poorly on the speaker. Some would say it shows a high level of ignorance and lack of critical thinking.

Ok, I think it is clear I did not communicate what I was thinking when I orginally posted.

No, not all lawyers are bad; most are good in fact and I have used one on several occasions.

My issue was the consistent rapid and often misguided instruction to call an attorney for EVERY possible dispute with a university or faculty member.

If you are being discriminated against, abused, cheated, hurt, call an attorney and a good one.

If you get caught cheating, don't.

If you don't like the grade you got, appeal/beg/plead but don't call an attorney to 'threaten' the school.

If you admit to stalking someone and the school leaves it as a conduct issue AND you admit and accept their decision. Don't then call an attorney to try and force them to give you a second chance to plea your case.

All of these are cases I've seen here in the last probably 6-8 weeks. None of them are legal issues. And to anyone that thinks a letter from your attorney is going to scare a university; guess what THEY have lawyers too....and more money than you do

 

[GetThePointe77]

disclaimer: my parents are both lawyers

The majority of work lawyers do is not CSI/Law and Order in front of a judge. A large percentage involves the legal system, but not in the form of an actual trial. Anything that involves a contract really should involve a lawyer in some way to make sure you actually understand what you are signing. Therefore whenever you are in trouble with the university, you are dealing with your CONTRACT that you signed with them, and therefore in many cases it may be helpful to get a lawyer because they may be able to find loopholes/better understand what you are actually liable for and what is the legal letter of the law. For that reason lawyers can be very useful, and can bring you a lot of peace of mind. You wouldnt want someone to take out their own stitches, or take off their own cast because they simply dont have the expertise, even though its probably likely that they could handle it on their own (one of my friends took off his own cast to no ill effects but thats a whole 'nother story (and he wasnt a premed lol)).

ALSO 99.9999% of lawyers are not the ambulance chasing/malpractice type. In fact for every one of those, there is someone on the other side fighting FOR the doctor.

whew glad to get that off my chest