We all still have a few scraps, odds and ends of our teenage rebellious streak in us. It’s what reflexively makes us want to kick up a bit of dust against rules and authority or when someone says, “I said so.” There’s still some fun in blowing the occasional raspberry to power.
Which is why mocking government jurisdiction comes so easily, and why jokes about attorneys seem bottomless. Some of that disdain is probably earned — but honestly, you could say that about most professions, especially in these gloriously cynical times.
Still, before we toss lawyers into the same bin as questionable fashion choices and spam emails, consider this: At its core, the legal profession is a custodian of truth and a guardrail of civility in our modern Wild West of discourse. Beneath the cliches of dark mahogany and Latin phrases that sounds like a password to a secret society, the legal system is the operating engine of human cooperation. It’s the protocol that says two parties can disagree without storming the courthouse with torches and pitchforks.
Without that system in place, all we have left are lawless mutiny and shouting matches — or, in other words, social media. Technology has wrapped many of us in a warm Dunning-Kruger blanket of instant expertise: Now everyone’s an authority on everything, at all times. But to borrow the spirit (and a dramatic flair) of Adm. Gial Ackbar: Confusing information with expertise is a trap, and it’s loud.
So, in this issue of 517 Business, we’re giving the legal system — and the legion of cause-driven folks within it — a bit of overdue applause. We’ll spotlight some firms and people who use their know-how to uplift Greater Lansing, calm the chaos and steer power toward accountability.
They are the people who clarify the noise of debate, keep power in check and ensure that even the most hushed voice has the right to be heard. Those points alone are worthy of acknowledgement, appreciation and admiration — because their vital work far too often goes unsung and unheralded.
Tiffany Dowling
Publisher
