The American Bar Association Journal has received a torrent of irate messages over its announcement that disgraced former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales would be named 2007 Lawyer of the Year. It has renamed its annual selection to be “Newsmaker of the Year” to try to quell the national riot among lawyers.
Obviously, the naming of Gonzales as Lawyer of the Year smacked of an honor. Many believe that Gonzales should not be a lawyer; yet alone singled out among other lawyers. Indeed, it is still not clear whether Gonzales will be charged for his various alleged crimes from unlawful surveillance to lying under oath.
Nevertheless, one thing should be offered in defense of the ABA Journal (with which I have no connection). Each year it is increasing annoying to see Time Magazine rig its own annual competition to avoid controversial choices. At one time, Time’s Person of the Year was the newsmaker who most shaped the news in the prior 12 months. On a pure news basis, someone like Osama Bin Laden, not Rudy Giuliani, would have been selected. Indeed, when the magazine’s editors had more journalistic courage, they did select villains. Now, it is a pathetic way to pander for sales and is largely devoid of any serious journalistic content.
From a news perspective, Gonzales was the most cited and controversial newsmaker in the law for 2007. The problem is that Lawyer of the Year is the same title used by various legal organizations for awarding individuals based on merit rather than sheet notoriety. As one of Gonzales more vocal critics, I believe he deserves to be singled out — for infamy rather than fame.
For the ABA Journal statement, click here
Patty C:
Well, we are well through the age of Aquarius, and I, for one, believe that we have a chance to turn things around with a new approach. Regardless of who wins the Presidency, the key to moving things forward is the Congress. I don’t care what the party affiliation, but I do hope for a 20 point rise in IQ and increase in ethical and legal sensitivity by an order of magnitude of at least one. That should flush out most neo-cons.
I may regret posting this little factoid, AND for those who have more than a passing interest in astrology, as I do (and No, I don’t mean the daily Sun Sign newspaper variety) it might be intersting to note that Obama and Fredo share the same birthday, 8/4, both being ‘fiery’ Leos
– as is Bill Clinton, btw (Born August 19, 1946 – age 61)
What are unknown to me are birth times.
I have read Obama has Scorpio Rising… 😮
Gonzales…Born : August 4, 1955 (1955-08-04) (age 52)
San Antonio, Texas
Obama……Born : August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 46)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Sorry, y’all. I’m just not buyin’ the whole ‘Hope’ hype. I think he is too easily swayed depending on who he’s talking to at the time and I am not comfortable with him cutting his teeth on this upcoming term.
If I can’t have Al Gore, I think would rather have Hillary, and, in
a way Bill, by osmosis.
Perhaps Jonathan has already answered my question, but i keep wondering what kind of twisted, tortured (pardon the irony) logic it would take for the Bar Assoc. to name this thug even “Newsmaker of the Year”? How could anything Alberto Gonzales did during his miserably failed tenure be considered news the ABA needed in the public domain about lawyers? I think even if he was a used car salesman, he’d still be an embarrassment to the profession.
Unfortunately Gonzales is a model for too many lawyers who view ethics and morality to be fluid and relative concepts. Most lawyers do oppose the Administration’s shredding of core principles, but the Bar has done will beyond resolutions.
How about if “Lawyers in favor of law and the Constitution” take a page out the Pakistani playbook and demonstrate “en masse” in Washington tomorrow in support of no immunity for telecoms who broke the law and allowed themselves to be used by Bush and Gonzales?
I, for one, am outraged that the ABA would thumb their nose at this nation by placing this *man* in such light. It’s helpful to know that lawyers went to bat and stopped it from happening. That’s a good thing. But, they should do more. Abandon ship! Get out of there. Build something honest and new and begin again. The ABA obviously is in someone’s back pocket. A whole lot of lawyers can make it a mission and send a message. It would be most welcome by us little people.
Thanks for letting us know.