Attorney Spinelli does civic ‘pro bono’ work as Kiwanis Club leader
Pro Bono Barrister
Historically, lawyers have been getting “bad press” since the profession began. Even Shakespeare has been misinterpreted to tarnish our image; for example, one of his characters proclaims, “First, we kill all the lawyers.”
The accepted “wisdom” here has been the incorrect assumption that the goal is to kill them because they’re evil.
In truth, “Dick The Butcher,” who uttered that infamous phrase in “Henry VI: Part II,” had the contrary goal of tearing down the system of justice so that anarchy could rule. “Dick” feared the profession as the bulwark protecting law-abiding citizens of the day.
Yet, as far back as 1381, practicing law was a risky business. According to a quote by Richard Du Cann in the preciously titled, humorous tome “The Law Is an Ass,” authored by English barrister Ronald Irving, that long-ago year was a bad one for lawyers.