Why do Lawyers Like to use the title "Esquire"?

Rebelbase ^ | 11/14/01 | Rebelbase

[Rebelbase]

I have noticed lawyers use the title "Esquire" more then any other professional. Is there a particular reason?

Cheese flamers are appreciated.

[Rebelbase]

I have been pondering this one today so that tells you how exciting my life has been lately.

Whats up with these guys. Is it an ego thing?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Caused they never got the E+MCsquared thing.

[DoughtyOne]

I think it's kindof a pig-latin thing shortened for personal reasons. Nobody wants to see squirrel on their paperwork.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Nor did I. E+MCsquared should read E=MCsquared, dagnabbit.

[anniegetyourgun]

ROFSAGL! (Rolling on floor splitting a gut laughing)

[KC Burke]

...use the title "Esquire" more then any other professional. Is there a particular reason?

They do that because we Contractors have the rights to the title "Playboy" and they are trying to compete.

[StoneColdGOP]

Sounds kinda sissyfied to me.

You'd probably get your butt whooped using that in any other line of work.

[N. Theknow]

It's Latin for "You're screwed".

[Rebelbase]

ROTFLMAO!!!#3 IS THE WINNER!....Thats like hitting 21 on the first deal.

[Rebelbase]

#9 post is recinded....#8 takes the lead!!!!!!!LMAO!!!!!!

[dirtboy]

[the bottle let me down]

I have noticed lawyers use the title "Esquire" more then any other professional. Is there a particular reason?

I don't know where the practice started, but I'm glad it continued. Use of the Esq. tag is very helpful. In a big corporate litigation, attorneys and paralegals have to examine tens of thousands of pages of paper for documents so that attorney-cleint communications aren't turned over to the other side. by putting the label in after their name, it becomes easier to flag documents for closer review. Of course, all of the pages have to be reviewed, but every little bit helps.

I'm sure that most of them do it as an ego thing, but I'll take the beneficial side effect.

[Rebelbase]

Can the RoterRooter man use the title "Esquire"? Or is it reserved for "White Collar" folk?...if so who makes the rules?

[nicmarlo]

For what it's worth, I work at a law firm; Esq. (or esquire), is routinely placed after the lawyers name and generally only used in letters/envelopes addressed to them. Esquire comes from the Latin scutarius, or "shield bearer." They used to be thought of as a protector, I believe, from the 1400's or so.

[Cachelot]

Whats up with these guys. Is it an ego thing?

Who knows? There was one esquire eschoir who was a little esquirrely. Apart from that, here's the definition:

Esquires are the younger sons of peers, the heirs male of knights, esquires of the body, and officials such as judges, sheriffs, and officers of the royal household. Esquire is not actually a title, although it may be used after a gentleman's surname; as, William More, Esquire.

Beats me why it has become a lawyers title, though. Probably connected with the judges/sheriffs thing.

[Rebelbase]

Riley, can you ping one particluar harbor...I can't get the syntax of his name right.

[Alex Murphy]

I was always under the impression that "esquire" was latin for "gelding"

[MindBender26]

"Esquire" is an Old English term/title for a "man who does not work with his hands," not a laborer, (back in days when most men did work with hands, farmers, etc.) .

Rather pompus these days.

[shempy]

I think they go with "esquire" because "rat-bastard" was already taken.