My lawyer buddy knows all kinds of lawyer jokes and laughs at them, just like me with banjo player jokes. On the other hand, we need to guard against labeling any kind of necessary work as being unclean. In Japan and India they have specific social classes to be undertakers, plumbers, garbage collectors, etc. who do 'unclean' work.
I get painted with that brush too because I buy and sell stocks. Soldiers and sailors get dumped on all the time, until the country gets it's ass in a crack and suddenly the military are heroes again. When ever some lawyer basher gets sued, he turns right around and (you guessed it) hires a lawyer. It's time we all admitted that we hire lawyers when we need to. Rather than be ashamed, let's be thankful that there are lawyers we can hire.
That doesn't mean they are honerable, just necessary. I dissagree with you, till I meet an honerable lawer.