NBC's "The Law Firm": good riddance?

Out of morbid curiosity, I watched the second episode of NBC's now-dead "The Law Firm," partly just to get it off my TiVo.  What a train wreck!  The cases were boring, the lawyering was boring, even Roy Black's critiques were boring.  The only highlight was Olivier's complete meltdown, where after losing the arbitration, he told the arbitrator that the legal analysis to justify the decision was "*&^%#*!&" before storming out of the room, slamming doors and generally making a total fool of himself.

The fact that Black didn't fire Olivier because there were two other attorneys he deemed worse was even worse.  When I was in practice, it was emphasized on a number of occasions that the law firm's credibility stood with the work that we produced.  It's not that we would sacrifice a client's case to maintain our own reputation, of course.  Rather, it's that you can choose to a large degree how you want to practice law within certain ethical confines -- do you want to be aggressive, no holds barred, or "sleazy"?

For Olivier, a huge number -- er, given the ratings, perhaps not -- of people have just seen him become unhinged.  Would you want a lawyer who flies off the handle like that to represent you?  I think it's going to be a long time in real life before he lives down the reputation of being the guy who "cussed out" his arbitrator.

Comments

[Eric Goldman]

I thought Roy's failure to dismiss Olivier was as inexcusable as Olivier's transgression. Then again, it seemed consistent with his questionable sense of ethics evidenced in the flap over bringing the 3-legged dog to trial. Eric.

[louise]

I actually like The Law Firm. It's eye-opening to see how seemingly perfectly obvious cases are won or lost depending on lawyers. I'm starting to see what is appropriate "representation" and why we need lawyers. Also what are convincing "arguments" and what is not. Best part is, I don't have to be embroiled in a court case to understand what could go on in one. And it gives me an idea how to better select REPRESENTATION if I would ever need one. (Hopefully, never. Courtcases are traumatic experiences.)