[gamblor956]

I've actually served on the ethics committee for the bar association. We discipline lawyers all the time.

The bar does not exist to serve lawyers, it exists to regulate them.

[elgenie]

> The bar does not exist to serve lawyers, it exists to regulate them.

Those are far from being in opposition. A cynic might say the bar exists to serve lawyers as a class by doing the bare minimum to appear to be regulating them.

[justinclift]

From the perspective of a lay person, it doesn't to be effective in doing so.

eg. Places like Prenda Law being able to operate openly for years before being shut down, etc.

[srtjstjsj]

Prenda Law operated for 1 year before they were caught, and then. Disbarred and imprisoned.

The reason they continued their crimes for 3 years was that it's impossible to prevent someone from doing paperwork crimes if they aren't in prison.

[justinclift]

> Prenda Law operated for 1 year ...

While technically yes. They just opened another company and kept on going. Guess I should have said "Prenda Law and it's various incarnations". ;)

> ... it's impossible to prevent someone from doing paperwork crimes if they aren't in prison.

That's the whole point. ;)

On that note, it looks like Paul Hansmeier is now attempting to start that racket back up again, even from behind bars.

[jacquesm]

It exists to avoid the courts stepping in to regulate them. If it weren't for the bar association keeping the worst out of view there would be a lot more lawyers reprimanded by judges instead. This is probably efficient, but not a sign that the bar association serves individual lawyers. It serves them collectively by keeping the dirty laundry within the organization rather than to submit to outside regulation.