“Does America have a lawyer problem, or a law problem?”
Both. Our laws were written by lawyers for lawyers.
Our main problem is we have LAWYERS creating laws.
Lawyers as officers of the court are a part of the judiciary and should be barred from holding legislative office. It creates a conflict of interest and weakens the separation of powers concept.
Their only part in the legislative process should be as consultants to DESIGN laws to meet the wishes of legislators.
Think about it. If Automobile Mechanics could design cars, what would they make? Vehicles which are safe, quick to maintain and long lasting without a need for major servicing?
Hardly. They would make cars which generate more business for themselves and that is exactly what legislating attorneys do.
Aside from that there are too damn many of them. I think its probably more profitable for a college to turn out attorneys than to turn out doctors, dentists, engineers and scientists - people who make life BETTER. Laboratories and equipment create a high overhead. All you need to turn out attorneys are law professors and libraries.
James Madison once said that when any one “same hands” (by which he meant similar interest) group get’s control of ALL the leavers of government that would be the very definition of tyranny! I think he was all to right and when I look around me today I see that it has come to pass in THIS country!
We are now watching the affirmative action legal minds at work. They will be filling posts throughout our government and courts for a long time. It is a shame we cannot have the best and brightest enter professions.