I always say that when I married an attorney we were both shocked, shocked, to learn that each other’s profession had a code of ethics. The public might agree.
A Gallup poll released this week shows the public rated journalists above lawyers in their perceptions of ethics and honesty. But not by much. For journalists, 25 percent of the public think we have high ethics and honesty, compared to 18 percent for lawyers. Of those distrusting us, 31 percent think journalists have low ethics. For attorneys, it’s 37 percent.
Trust in bankers fell amid the mortgage crisis. Despite making a mess of the economy, they ranked just behind journalists but still ahead of attorneys.
Nurses are perceived as having the highest ethics and honesty (84 percent), followed by pharmacists, teachers and doctors. Clergy, interestingly, were sixth on the list, behind police.
At the bottom of the list: members of Congress, auto salespeople, telemarketers and — dead last — lobbyists.
(via AM Law Daily)
9 Comments
I would have never guessed.
Where do plumbers rate? I certainly hope it is ahead of builders whom most are constantly fighting against safety as being too costly. I’m disappointed but understand the low rating of labor leaders because business spends $100’s of millions of dollars every year to PR and legal firms to discredit workers and their leaders. Attorney’s have an almost unbelievable strict code of ethics that most are unaware of. When attorney’s fight hard people do get hurt but it keeps us a nation of laws.
I don’t trust the public.
“Attorney’s have an almost unbelievable strict code of ethics that most are unaware of.”
Lonny … did you mean that most people are unaware of the attorney’s Code of Ethics or that most attorneys are unaware of the attorey’s Code of Ethics?
Most people. Receiving my Juris doctor in 2002 but not taking the state bar I still like to read the Kansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals cases. Lawyers are punished almost monthly. You can read the restrictions from the state judicial site. Some of the things I think they are too strict on is that they frown on attorneys collecting money owed to them, that even if they have a clients money in a trust fund they cannot use it to pay expenses of the client in most cases, they can’t represent someone they have had a relationship with, etc. There are active ethic committees in most large communities in additional to the state committee and they investigate even somewhat ridiculous complaints to which the attorney must respond. There are all sorts of 10 and 20 day time limits on filings and even if an attorney is running 50 to 100 cases at a time they jump on a lawyer for missing a filing. I sense that attorneys are twice as strict on themselves than any other profession, including doctors, bankers and securities. They do so because they recognize the publics poor perception of their profession.
Lonny … yes, I know. It wasn’t really a serious question – I was trying to be humerous as much as anything. Several attorneys have served me well with personal matters in the past – all of them took care of business. I’m retired from law enforcement after 35 years and I can honestly say in my entire life I’ve encountered only two attorneys who were unscrupulous. Do you remember to good old days when attorneys were not allowed to advertise their services in the media? I can’t remember – were they also not allowed to advertise in the yellow pages?
They were not allowed to advertise. It was considered unethical. However attorney’s are not allowed to practice in areas they have no experience. The problem for citizens was they didn’t know how to tell what attorney’s practiced in what areas. Enforcement is a difficult area and I appreciate your 35 years. You don’t get paid sufficiently for what you must risk and encounter. It is also a burden for your families.
If you are in SG County those numbers should be A LOT lower,perhaps minus 50% trust for attorneys,and 0% for scaredy cat journalists. I notice you did not say anything about crooked judges,probably have to go into the minus kelvin scale for them!
I now know why you would never report the truth about Pilshaw…your wife is an attorney. It makes perfect sense why you hid under the couch.