March 27, 2007

Norm Pattis in Connecticut continues to raise uncomfortable questions about legal practice (Mar. 18 -- scroll to comments):

There are limits to what is reasonable. I don't see a million dollar fee for a bad injury that settles as reasonable. Many personal injury lawyers cream skim, focusing only on cases of great value and enormous fee. I am offended by that.

I am very ambivalent about living off the misfortune of others. No question about it. I simply try not to gouge folks. I also do not practice in the area of personal injury or medical malpractice, where fee-gouging appears to be the highly lucrative norm.

I am still uneasy, though. So I try not to gouge folks. A simple enough distinction for most folks to grasp...