# Pro bono bullshit **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 9, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132 "2010-09-09T02:43:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 71
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1401 "2010-10-08T18:16:14Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Poking him with a stick? I think you mean feeding him carrots. šŸ˜‰ > > **Iā€™d be happy just to know which client is being billed for his SDMB hours. The senior partners (who are among those many of us out here in the hive mind of society with no concept of the meaning of ā€œmoral obligationā€) might want to know about that, too.** > > > [@Randy](#): > > > > You get so pissy when you canā€™t get your way. > > Says the guy whoā€™s proud of getting his way in regard to his bossesā€™ instructions. šŸ˜‰ So far. Not for long, though, Iā€™d wager. > > Meanwhile, shine on, you crazy diamond. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > **Wole** lotta butthurt in here. Itā€™s these odd little typos that seem to be characteristic of posting from a Blackberry(or similar) that RR has been making that makes me think he is billing someone for these posts. But we all know he thinks ethics are bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1402 "2010-10-08T18:26:13Z")
Gotta say, the ā€œBlack Knightā€ bit was a lot funnier when the Pythons did it. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1403 "2010-10-08T18:30:33Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Wole lotta butthurt in here. Rand, really. Canā€™t you save that conversation for your proctologist. Have some decorum, man. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1404 "2010-10-08T18:42:36Z")
Seriously, **Randy** , your posts could not more perfectly describe your own actions if one of us hijacked your account to make you look ridiculous. ā€¦ None of you guys is behind this, right? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1405 "2010-10-08T18:52:22Z")
Shit, none of us have that much imagination. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1406 "2010-10-08T19:02:47Z")
SFGā€“thatā€™s saying something, coming from the master of making oneself look ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1407 "2010-10-08T19:09:23Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Wole lotta butthurt in here. Please leave your daughter alone. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1408 "2010-10-08T19:10:03Z")
Really, **Randy** , at this point you \*have \*to be handing me material just to keep me poking you so this thread doesnā€™t die. ETA: **Elvis** , I canā€™t fucking _breathe_. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1409 "2010-10-08T19:15:12Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > SFGā€“thatā€™s saying something, coming from the master of making oneself look ridiculous. Youā€™re a horrible elitist fuck who doesnā€™t deserve the benefits he gets from the social contract. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1410 "2010-10-08T19:49:50Z")
Next heā€™s going to ask you to provide a copy of this alleged contract, and show him where he signed it. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1411 "2010-10-08T20:06:05Z")
MEā€“you donā€™t deserve the benefits you get from all the hard work I do. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1412 "2010-10-08T20:11:26Z")
And what would those benefits be, exactly? A higher tax rate on him because the corporations youā€™re finding loopholes for arenā€™t picking up their fair share? No, he doesnā€™t deserve that at all. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1413 "2010-10-08T20:19:24Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > MEā€“you donā€™t deserve the benefits you get from all the hard work I do. If it was hard work, you wouldnā€™t have time to be posting. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1414 "2010-10-08T20:22:05Z")
What are you talking about? It doesnā€™t take that long to drop the fries. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1415 "2010-10-08T20:36:58Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > MEā€“you donā€™t deserve the benefits you get from all the hard work I do. **Randy,** count me as another voice asking you to describe - as specifically as youā€™d like - what these alleged ā€œbenefitsā€ Iā€™m receiving might be. Could you be so kind as to list of a few of them for me? Iā€™ve been receiving them this whole time, apparently, and never even knew it! ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1416 "2010-10-08T20:43:18Z")
Iā€™ve stayed out of this mud wrestling match so far. While I donā€™t want this taken as an argument from authority, it is just that. Iā€™ve been in the lawyer racket for 43 years now. Mostly in a rural county seat general practice, some trials, some divorces, some real estate, some taxes, some decedents estates. While Iā€™ve never actually added up the time, or written it down for that matter, I expect that I do about $10,000 worth of donated work every year ā€“ to be fair some of it doesnā€™t start out as pro bono but it turns into that before Iā€™m done. I donā€™t tell you this to gain praise for my charity and general altruism, but as a lead in for this: The one thing I have learned and learned early is that there is a small percentage of my learned brethren who are self absorbed jackasses with a hard-on for the world who think they are somehow superior beings just because they managed to get through law school and finagle a license out of some unsuspecting high court. By and large they are jerks and one should not waste time even trying to deal with them. Whiners, snakes and weasels. They never concede that anyone elseā€™s view has merit. Thatā€™s why you donā€™t argue with them. Just schedule the trial and get it over with as fast as possible. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1417 "2010-10-08T20:46:07Z")
\*\* wipes a little mud off **Gelding** ā€™s cheek \*\* Welcome to the wrestling match! ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1418 "2010-10-08T21:45:03Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > > > Well, you are paraphrasing away the relevant part of the source of the argument. > > > > I understand that there is no penalty but I donā€™t think anyone imposes a penalty for failure to do pro bono. That doesnā€™t mean its not a professional responsibility. > > Do you really still not understand what Iā€™m saying? Iā€™m only arguing with those who say I have an actual obligation to do pro bono. Iā€™m not arguing with anyone who realizes I donā€™t have an actual obligation. So, if you just think that itā€™s a professional responsibility or a moral obligation, then thatā€™s fine, we have no quarrel. You have introduced a qualifier to the word obligation. You have an obligation but you say ā€œmaybe so but its not an ACTUAL obligation because noone is going to force me to do itā€ I think we can both agree that obligations can exist without coercion. You say that you accept that you have a pofessional responsibility to perform pro bono work and you choose not to, thatā€™s fine. It doesnā€™t exactly make you a role model lawyer but wth not everyone read "to kill a mockingbird " before they went to law school. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1419 "2010-10-08T21:57:50Z")
> [@Spavined\_Gelding](#): > > Iā€™ve stayed out of this mud wrestling match so farā€¦Just schedule the trial and get it over with as fast as possible. You need to post a picture so I can stop thinking you look like Orville Reddenbacher. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/1420 "2010-10-08T22:08:54Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Welcome to the wrestling match! Pity there was nothing left but a pile of decomposing hamburger for him to ā€œsparā€ with. Oh well, he at least got to poke it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132.md?page=70) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132.md?page=72)