Topic Actions

Topic Search

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests

SF & Lawyers

For anyone who might want to have a side conversation...you're welcome here!
SF & Lawyers
Post by Arol   » Wed Jun 18, 2014 9:17 am

Arol
Captain of the List

Posts: 452
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 12:55 pm
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

In one of Jack Campbell’s novels there is a scene where the subject of “lawyers” arise amongst a group of people:
“…if the aliens have human lawyers imprisoned, I would suggest we leave them….we have too many of them as is.”
“…they’ll do plenty of damage to the Aliens. Better there then here.”
“…there are fates too horrible for even lawyers…. “Sorry, my brother is a lawyer,” he explained.
“You have our sympathies”…
Or another SF novel where a group of people off Earth are discussing their more infamous ancestors, there are pirates, criminals of all sorts amongst them, but the one who took the prize was the one whose ancestor was a lawyer.
A California divorce lawyer at that!
Even Heinlein had world where they’d taken Shakespeare’s “Lets kill all the lawyers!” seriously”, and still talked of “The Night All the Lawyers Disappeared!
Is the antipathy against lawyers greater in SF, then in society as a whole?
In reading SF for more then 50´years I don’t recall even having seen a lawyer as the prime protagonist.
That would be one sure fire anti-hero!
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by Daryl   » Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:38 pm

Daryl
Fleet Admiral

Posts: 3562
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:57 am
Location: Queensland Australia

Jurassic Park did it best, but then they did have TRexs available.
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by Lord Skimper   » Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:20 pm

Lord Skimper
Vice Admiral

Posts: 1736
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:49 am
Location: Calgary, Nova, Gryphon.

Have we seen any Lawyers in the Honorverse?

Are you sure there were no Lawyers in Out of the Dark?
________________________________________
Just don't ask what is in the protein bars.
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by viciokie   » Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:27 pm

viciokie
Captain of the List

Posts: 546
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 8:39 pm

even though lawyers are detestable they do have a purpose in life. Now if you want to include politicians who scream for war bur have never served or refuse to serve then i am all for making them one time mine detectors. (their time is over when they step on the mine).
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by Arol   » Thu Jun 19, 2014 7:45 am

Arol
Captain of the List

Posts: 452
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 12:55 pm
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Lord Skimper wrote: Are you sure there were no Lawyers in Out of the Dark?

None that I can recall, lots of bloodsucking Vampires though… I guess that they might be thought of as one of the same! :lol:
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by Dieu_Le_Fera   » Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:52 pm

Dieu_Le_Fera
Lieutenant (Junior Grade)

Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2014 2:15 pm
Location: Philadelphia

Arol wrote:In one of Jack Campbell’s novels there is a scene where the subject of “lawyers” arise amongst a group of people:
“…if the aliens have human lawyers imprisoned, I would suggest we leave them….we have too many of them as is.”
“…they’ll do plenty of damage to the Aliens. Better there then here.”
“…there are fates too horrible for even lawyers…. “Sorry, my brother is a lawyer,” he explained.
“You have our sympathies”…
Or another SF novel where a group of people off Earth are discussing their more infamous ancestors, there are pirates, criminals of all sorts amongst them, but the one who took the prize was the one whose ancestor was a lawyer.
A California divorce lawyer at that!
Even Heinlein had world where they’d taken Shakespeare’s “Lets kill all the lawyers!” seriously”, and still talked of “The Night All the Lawyers Disappeared!
Is the antipathy against lawyers greater in SF, then in society as a whole?
In reading SF for more then 50´years I don’t recall even having seen a lawyer as the prime protagonist.
That would be one sure fire anti-hero!


Seems you have been reading the Lost Fleet series :)
"Battle Cruisers lead the way!"
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by Lord Skimper   » Thu Jun 19, 2014 10:05 pm

Lord Skimper
Vice Admiral

Posts: 1736
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:49 am
Location: Calgary, Nova, Gryphon.

The various Stargate franchises had Richard Woolsey (Robert Picardo) in the stories he was an ex Lawyer. Even acted as a lawyer in an Atlantis episode.
________________________________________
Just don't ask what is in the protein bars.
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by Senior Chief   » Fri Jun 20, 2014 12:54 am

Senior Chief
Commander

Posts: 227
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:02 am
Location: Bear Flag Republic

Lord Skimper wrote:Have we seen any Lawyers in the Honorverse?

Are you sure there were no Lawyers in Out of the Dark?



Honor has a lawyer working for her setting up her Duchy as well as other legal matters.
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by Hutch   » Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:04 am

Hutch
Vice Admiral

Posts: 1831
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2010 12:40 pm
Location: Huntsville, Alabama y'all

Senior Chief wrote:
Lord Skimper wrote:Have we seen any Lawyers in the Honorverse?

Are you sure there were no Lawyers in Out of the Dark?



Honor has a lawyer working for her setting up her Duchy as well as other legal matters.


Yep, Robert(?) Maxwell. Who also has a background not a lot of lawyers share (from Ashes of Victory):

"I thought you'd feel that way. But I was interested to discover that you and I share something in common, and I was rather impressed when I read your citation. It isn't every Marine second lieutenant who wins the Manticore Cross for bravery under fire. And not many lawyers have that on their résumés, either, I imagine."


We also see the the Hauptman's have what amounts to be a full law firm representing their interests (and at times Honor's), and we do meet a JAG Officer during Storm from the Shadows (when deciding what Mike can do under her parole).

So while not in every book, RFC does not ignore the legal profession-it's still with us two millenia into the future (albeit I seem to remember that there are fewer of them on Grayson....)

As for other series, I can't remember any off the top of my head except for the Web Comic Schlock Mercenary, where the mercenaries have their own lawyer (Massey Reynstein, Esq.) and also have a bounty on Lawyer Clones (who are shown in the comic as snakes).
Last edited by Hutch on Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
***********************************************
No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow.

What? Look, somebody's got to have some damn perspective around here! Boom. Sooner or later. BOOM! -LT. Cmdr. Susan Ivanova, Babylon 5
Top
Re: SF & Lawyers
Post by umbrarchist   » Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:36 pm

umbrarchist
Lieutenant (Senior Grade)

Posts: 96
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:45 am

In Homeward Bound Harry Turtledove has a human exchanging lawyer jokes with an alien.
Top

Return to Free-Range Topics...