Hurry back! 
I agree. Those of us who do business in The Real World have no beef with lawyers any more than we do with doctors, car mechanics, or any other professional. Sometimes we need them, and we’re grateful for the specialized knowledge they bring to the table.
It would never even occur to me to taking anti-lawyer rants seriously, any more than I would dream of taking seriously rants against secretaries, big business, or copying machines. They are all indispensable components of the business chain, and I just automatically assume that anyone who would rant against them must know little or nothing about them.
I would regret it, on the other hand, if a lawyer were to leave the SDMB. Lawyers are trained to parse arguments and spot faulty reasoning, and we need more of that here on the SDMB. We need a lot more of that.
Besides, Jodi, I have always like your posts. So I hope you will hurry back.
Bah! Typos! :o
…It would never even occur to me to take anti-lawyer rants seriously…
…I have always liked your posts…
Yue Han and Jester have already done a fairly good job of stating my point, Idenow.
Let me also add this: Shut yer fucking yap, you walking colostomy bag. Maybe when you have contributed even 5% of the meaningful content that Jodi brings to the discussions on this board then you can pipe up with your asinine opinions.
Jodi, we haven’t had very much interaction, but I have read a lot of your posts. While I don’t always agree with your take on things, I really admire the levelheaded logic that nearly always prevail in your posts, and hope you will return soon.
–Dave
Idenow, Idnew, whatever the fuck your name is. My message for you is still the same.
Here’s another vote of support, Jodi. As Gaudere said, non carborundum. There will always be those of us fighting on your side–against ingorance.
Jodi, you’re not the only apologist.
Lawyers, preservers of democracy?
If the Board is pissing you off that much, your instinct to take a break is probably a good one - people are taking things MUCH to seriously 'round here just now.
Um… You mean non illegitami descendari, perhaps?
Good luck in everything, Jodi. Remember that in sadness lies the way to being free.
It does get a little thick around here at times, Jodi. Wishing you well, I look forward to your return.
No, he means what he said. Illegitimi non carborundum.
Jodi, I’m real sorry to see you go. I know we haven’t crossed paths much, except perhaps over jmullaney, but I have always appreciated your sound reason and easy authority in matters you care about. Take it real easy, and I hope to see you soon.
Regards,
MR
Jodi -
You’re a lawyer and you are working for the gov’t?! You must not be very good then!
Kidding… kidding… really I am! 
Hope to see you back soon.
Zette, did you read my post carefully? My first specific mention was about good lawyers (see above)! Sadly, I have run into too many shysters along the way to not have at least some mild animosity for the incompetent ones.
Feel free to jump on my case when I was the first to apologize to Jodi. I stand by what I have said.
Ooooh. Pseudo-Latin for “don’t let the bastards grind you down.” That wasn’t quite what Gaudere said. Ya know, we really need more lawyers around here – at least they can keep their Latin straight!
Jodi,
I know where you’re coming from. I have had the boards become just too ridiculous for me for a time, and have spent several months not posting. I have recently been posting a bit, but on many fewer subjects.
I’ve gotten over the feeling that I have to answer everything where there is a crying need to refute the misguided ramblings of an idiot. You’ve been carying the ball on the stupid lawyer comments for a while now, so don’t feel bad about dropping it. Someone else will be along to pick it up real soon (or actually, those who are currently carrying it along with you will keep doing so, along with new ball-handlers).
(By the way, one comment that I’ve been refraining from making in each of the anti-lawyer threads is that it isn’t the lawyers that the created the liability crisis, but rather the juries that grant the outside awards to plaintiffs. This should be pounded into the skulls of the bitchers and whiners repeatedly. Another example of the lapses of logic that many of the lawyer-bashers use is someone that I knew who, in two consecutive sentences complained about how all of the lawyers out there are making everyone’s life miserable and then applauded the ten grand wrongful termination settlement she had gotten.)
Anwyay, take a break and come back when you feel like it. The board will still be here waiting for you.
Bill
And don’t think it’s not appreciated, Bill.
Alright, jmullaney, it is very tempting to assume that people who exhibit stupidity in the SDMB are in fact stupid people. I try to remember this, I really do. But in your case, I think I can say truly that
your brain has the processing power of a small, round polyp.
The expression is in fact illegitimi non carborundum. No one ever tried to pass it off as “real” Latin. But if you really don’t think I can keep my Latin straight, step up the the plate.
Like Atreus says in the Thyestes, scelera non ulcisceris sed vincis. I’ll stick my Latin up your ass until it goes “click.” I’m waiting for you, jmullaney.
Alright, jmullaney, it is very tempting to assume that people who exhibit stupidity in the SDMB are in fact stupid people. I try to remember this, I really do. But in your case, I think I can say truly that
your brain has the processing power of a small, round polyp.
The expression is in fact illegitimi non carborundum. No one ever tried to pass it off as “real” Latin. But if you really don’t think I can keep my Latin straight, step up to the plate.
Like Atreus says in the Thyestes, scelera non ulcisceris sed vincis. I’ll stick my Latin up your ass until it goes “click.” I’m waiting for you, jmullaney.
I am sure everyone thought that last post was worthy of being read twice. What can I say but oops.
Hey! Is Jodi staying or what?
Jodi,on occasion I have felt that lawyers are money hogs. But, after just recently settling my divorce with one of the most wonderful lawyers anyone could ask for, my opinion has certainly changed. Yes it cost me money, but if I didn’t know that going in, I shouldnt have hired her. She is one of the top lawyers in my province and I only received her representation because I had a connection, my friends brother who is also a lawyer who saw that I was in trouble and needed help.
This woman not only advised me and was there for me legally, she has over the past couple of years helped me to rebuild myself. Her support when I paniced over things and called her was unending. That alone is worth way more than what I paid her.
Your profession, as in any profession has the good ones and the not so good ones. Take heart at people’s ignorance and bad experiences. In a lot of ways its no different than me being disliked because the last school admin was much better than me, or loved because they hated the last one.
People are opinionated and sometimes very callous. I guess that one more thing this woman taught me was that yes, sticks and stones… but no one will ever break me. I am back, stronger than ever, feeling better about myself than I have in many years and have more happiness than I could have imagined.
One more thing my lawyer taught me was that, when my ex husband’s lawyer attacked me, it wasn’t personal, she was doing her job, representing his side of our dispute. Laws are laws and sometimes even top lawyers can’t change or get us more, they are offering us the best representation they can possibly give.
I really do hope that you will come back to the board and just be Jodi!