Arizona State bar is criticized for wearing too many hats, and wearing them poorly

Here is a legal blog post where a member of the legal profession is sarcastic about Arizona Bar doing the following at the same time:

• pretends to protect the public from its members;
• pretends to represent interests of its members;
• does business with its members by offering "member benefits", for a fee, and
• does that business poorly

It is apparent that under such a conflicted scheme of things, none of the bar assotiation's duties will be discharged fully, completely, and with full integrity - it is impossible; and that everybody whose interests are involved will feel cheated.

And they are.

The only way to resolve the situation is to deregulate the legal profession.

Then, the bar association can remain as a non-profit trade association, which is what it is now, continue to offer its members benefits that members have a right to accept or decline, without fear of being prosecuted by the same bar for criticism of conflicts of interest and offering bad business deals to its members.

And, the public can then be free to choose counsel of their choice not bound by the disciplinary rules to play nice to the old boys' club.

The public will definitely win.

But what impressed me the most is this paragraph:

"Indeed, when mentoring law students and especially new lawyers, my oft-used lawyer happiness advice remains, “Remember, the State Bar is not your friend.” How else to interpret the Bar’s chest-pounding proclamations that its primary mission is to protect the public from its members?"

What impressed me is the author's sarcasm as to these "chest-pounding proclamations" which, in reality are the ONLY legitimate reason why attorneys are licensed and given their privileged position in society at all.

If lawyers are openly sarcastic about the goal of attorney licensing as to protection of the public, the public must understand that no protection will follow where lawyers "regulate themselves", for themselves.