Alicorn comments on Open Thread: November 2009 - Less Wrong

3 [deleted] 02 November 2009 01:18AM

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Comment author: Alicorn 05 November 2009 04:59:16PM *  1 point [-]

Any other advice? What if I want to go to my Ethical Culture Society leader to ask him or her about whether something my in-court lawyer suggests would be right? What if my spouse is a lawyer? What if I'm a lawyer - a really expensive one?

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 05 November 2009 05:02:37PM 0 points [-]

Okay, suppose a lawyer is not allowed to accept briefs. In the Least Convenient case where you happen to be a really expensive lawyer, how much can actually be accomplished courtroom-wise if you talk for a few hours with a much less expensive lawyer? Would any lawyers care to weigh in?

Comment author: wedrifid 06 November 2009 12:16:12AM 1 point [-]

I'm tempted to suggest 'about the same amount a professional dancer can teach an amateur, and for similar reasons'.

Comment author: Alicorn 05 November 2009 05:04:54PM 1 point [-]

Why would you need to do anything with the inexpensive lawyer? Contribute nothing to the fund - maybe even forfeit your half of whatever the other party contributes - and then represent yourself.

Comment author: MBlume 06 November 2009 12:07:48AM *  4 points [-]

I suspect that the only real solution to the Lawyer Problem is to remove the necessity of the profession -- ie, either simplify the law, or cognitively enhance the people to the point where any person who can not hold the whole of the law in his/her head can be declared legally incompetent.

Comment author: DanArmak 06 November 2009 12:44:34AM 4 points [-]

If possible, that would certainly be a great solution.

The original (our-world) Lawyer Problem goes beyond what we've discussed here: it involves (ex-) lawyers both deliberately making the law and the case law more and more complex, to increase the value of their services.