In the name of setting the record straight, they have decided to misinform the public about the meaning and context of Shakespeare’s famous line. . Many cannot accept that an uneducated nobody from Stratford wrote such a corpus of literary work, becoming an acclaimed genius worldwide. — John J. Curtin, Jr., Esq., President, American Bar Association, published in the ABA Journal, September, 1990. Shakespeare's exact line ''The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers,'' was stated by Dick the Butcher in ''Henry VI,'' Part II, act IV, Scene II, Line 73. References to Shakespeare can be found in all manner of legal actions from common divorce proceedings to murder cases (Eugene Morgulis, The Bahd of New England: Citing Shakespeare in the First Circuit (2009)). (2010); see also ‘Anonymous’ (2011), a film in which Edward De Vere is portrayed as the real author of Shakespeare’s works). Shakespeare was an entertainer and many of the rabble in the audience almost certainly enjoyed hearing such populist sentiments.”. Cade. --William Shakespeare… As a peacemaker … First, the conversation between Jack Cade and Dick the Butcher is not a discussion on how to plot to win a rebellion against lawful government. In search of a rhyme.”. Why have Shakespeare’s plays become the apple of the eye (second perhaps only to the Bible) of so many judges and lawyers? Butch. In American courts alone, Shakespeare’s 37 plays have been quoted in more than 800 judicial opinions (see Robert W. Peterson’s, The Bard and the Bench: An Opinion and Brief Writer’s Guide to Shakespeare, 39 Santa Clara L. Rev. William Shakespeare — ‘The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.’ The same Shakespeare’s rose was quoted by Lord Clarke then MR of the UK Supreme Court (who was appointed as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal in 2011) in his 2007 speech, The Law Lords: A Rose As Sweet By Any Other Name? The Bard and Dick the Butcher were correct: “…, let’s kill all the lawyers.” We can only wish…. The Law Society of Hong Kong | Sweet & Maxwell | Westlaw Asia | Contact Us, “Why may not that be the skull of a lawyer? It is interesting for lawyer-lovers of Shakespeare to note an exchange of Shakespearean humour between two US Supreme Court Justices (Browning-Ferris Industries v Kelco Disposal, 492 US 257, 290 (1989)) in which Justice O’Connor, in a partial dissent, supports the argument that the 8th Amendment’s use of the word “fine” encompasses private civil damages by referencing Shakespeare’s verse: “I have an interest in your hate’s proceeding, Through the rebels’ threat, Shakespeare reminds the groundlings that lawyers, as protectors of that system of ordered liberty, are as much an obstacle to a rebellion that would curtail liberty as any garrisoned castle. Whatever William Shakespeare actually felt about the legal profession, a good part of his audience would have enjoyed hearing Dick the Butcher’s idea for improving society once their rebellion was successful. Justice Blackmun, writing for the majority, retorted: “Though Shakespeare, of course, Quotes By Famous Lawyers & Judges. That you shall all repent the loss of mine.” Thus, Cade’s, This propaganda has been repeated so often that even an astute observer and skeptic like. Such legend has prevailed even today. All scholars, lawyers, courtiers, gentlemen, They call false caterpillars and intend their death. Henry The Sixth, Part 2 Act 4, scene 2, 71-78 Let's kill all the lawyers. A collection of quotes about lawyers. On the other hand, it must be the case that ‘dung by the name of roses will smell as foul’,” and allowed the defence of misrepresentation in an action on the guarantors’ liability under a bank loan on the ground that the loan document was in effect a charge and a personal guarantee though named a legal charge. Which, being suffer’d, rivers cannot quench.” Law Sayings and Quotes. Help, master, help here's a fish hangs in the net, like a poor man's right in the law 'twill hardly come out. Explore our collection of motivational and famous quotes by authors you know and love. However, it also appears he is for all places, as well. [For a concurrence, see Seth Finkelstein’s article in The Ethical Spectacle.] . The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. Even in Shakespeare’s day, people tended to judge one another by their appearance. Sep 26, 2016 - Inspirational Quotes about Law. The glory of justice and the majesty of law are created not just by the Constitution - nor by the courts - nor by the officers of the law - nor by the lawyers - but by the men and women who constitute our society - who are the protectors of the law as they are themselves protected by the law. William Shakespeare quotes which includes “To be, or not to be” are well-known in the world of literature. It is all here in our Archives. Some say the bee stings; but I say, ’tis the bee’s wax, for I did but seal once to a thing, and I was never my own man since. Reflections on the new UK Supreme Court and 21st Century Constitutional Change. Quotes tagged as "lawyers" Showing 1-30 of 216. There are bad people in it, Mr. Richard, but if there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.”. That is when one of the conspirators chimes in, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” His goal was to destroy the law, so that the citizens would have no legal protection. You will notice, however, that Shakespeare was silent on the question of a less drastic reform. Comments are no longer accepted at this mothballed site, but there are still 4600 of them inside. And, when I am king, — as king I will be,–. Between funny William Shakespeare quotes from his plays and famous quotes about life and love from his sonnets, we have the 125 best Shakespeare quotes. One explanation may stem from English school curriculums, in which Shakespeare’s works are taught. Here’s a description of the Cade Rebellion on the. However, the landowners of Parliament legislated to keep wages low and to restrict the free movement of serfs. See our posting “et tu, Solomon?“, There’s one problem with the Bar’s approach, neither the play itself nor English history supports the legal profession’s interpretation of Shakespeare. By unanimous “verdicts” in both courts, the Oxford Earl was “so put down” (see James Shapiro, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? Will suggests that we should try to dress well while avoiding extravagance. Included are instructions on how they might be used in a courtroom. They were uttered by the conspirators in Cade’s Rebellion, who planned to overthrow the English government, destroy the ancient rights of English men and women, [as such “rights” were available to women at that time], and establish a virtual dictatorship. Romeo, "Romeo and Juliet" Act 1, Scene 4: Romeo tells his friend Mercutio that he is sinking "under … . Is not this a lamentable thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should be made parchment? “Service to others is a worthy goal for an aspiring professional and the best response all lawyers can make to our critics. update (May 31, 2008): Even ex-lawyer Paul Levine, author of the successful Solomon vs. Lord series, had his protagonist spew the misinformation (at page 225) of the novel “Kill all the Lawyers“. The poll tax of 1380 was three times higher than that of the previous year and, unlike its predecessor, taxed rich and poor at the same rate. Let’s Quell All the Liars, at ethicalEsq, by David Giacalone, October 8, 2003. Why does he suffer this rude knave now to knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel and will not tell him of his action of battery?” – Hamlet, Act V, Scene I. Legend has it that during a period of about 10 “lost years” in Shakespeare’s early life, during which historians have been unable to account for his whereabouts, the Bard is said to have engaged himself at a certain law firm (or firms) as a kind of law clerk or even as a solicitor. Adding to this growing interest, Shakespeare’s plays have recently been brought to the digital world by the New Theatre Live and the Royal Shakespeare Company in the form of stage show-turned-film. The legend however remains a controversy in the study of the Bard’s life. Comment by David Giacalone — August 14, 2008 @ 9:19 am. "The law is a ass" is actually Dickens. It appears that the challenge of the authorship of Shakespeare’s works has always come from academics, from Oxford in particular. The bar association party line is, therefore, that the sentence demonstrates Shakespeare’s unshakable recognition of the important role lawyers play in maintaining the rule of law and the fruits of civilization. Michael, As the above piece shows, I’m no cheerleader for the legal profession, but your assessment seems a bit exaggerated. Share William Shakespeare quotations about love, eyes and heart. Famous Quotes and Sayings About Lawyers. These six quotes touch on what it means to be a king, the power of the law, what separates royal from common, and speaking truth to authority. This was because, since the middle of the century, their lords had prevented them from making the most of the changing economic conditions. I salute you for all you do, Kevin. real opinions & real haiku, Shakespeare and Lawyers: the Bar’s propaganda, CLIENT RIGHTS & LEGAL ETHICS – ethicalEsq. We need to stop blaming the media, it’s really not the core of the public’s dissatisfaction with the legal profession (which existed long before their was a media). Oxford academics’ insistence on the Earl’s claim, James Shapiro, a Shakespeare biographer, said, “I find it all both impressive and demoralizing, a vision of a world in which a collective comfort with conspiracy theory, spurious history and construing fiction as autobiographical fact had passed a new threshold.” (Shapiro, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? The classiest response by the Bar to those nine little words by the Bard, would be to ignore them and merely smile at all the notepads, t-shirts, bumper stickers, and baseball caps upon which they now appear. See, for example the assertions here, here, and here. Quotes About Being a Lawyer “A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a thousand men with guns.” —Mario Puzo “You win some and you lose some, but you get paid for all of them.” —Anonymous “I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. Jenkin is a solicitor, notary public and accredited general mediator. 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