It’s Law Week and I have a confession to make - so here goes.
by Joseph Zuiker, May 1, 2016
I am 74 years old and have been a lawyer for almost 40 years. I really cannot believe I am that old but my passport says I am and my most recent “selfie” dramatically confirmed that age. For the past 24 years I have been a work injury attorney in Hawaii, helping thousands of badly injured workers. Without my help as their lawyer, they might not get any work accident benefits, might not get prompt medical assistance. and might not eventually get a fair settlement for their serious physical injuries.
With my help, my clients get a realistic understanding of the good and bad parts of Hawaii’s work injury laws, realize that they must work hard to recover from their injuries, and, when physically able, must get back to work. And with my help my clients know that their lawyer will work to make sure they get “fairly” treated during their recovery journey.
My confession during this Law Week is that I really love my job and simply can’t figure out how to stop being a lawyer. I know that at 74 I should stand aside and let some youngster take over my practice, but I get so much satisfaction out of my work that it is hard to think of giving it up. And to tell you the truth, with my many years of experience, I am pretty good at what I do, perhaps better than some lesser-experienced recent law school graduate for some time to come.
While many of my friends are busy “reinventing themselves” as new or long-term retirees, I am eagerly anticipating going to work each day so I can figure out new ways to get specialized medical treatment for my clients or insurance adjuster approval of treatment plans for my clients. My work also allows me to encourage insurance adjusters to assign good medical management nurses to my clients’ cases, thus further speeding up their recovery. This results in my clients getting rehabilitated faster and returning to work earlier—to the great relief of their families. It also keeps insurance claim costs under control, something I strongly support.
Simply stated, I like my work because it results in fairness to all work injury participants (injured workers, employers and insurance companies). In fact, my goal as a lawyer during this Law Week and every week is the simplification of problems facing people and the creation of a fair resolution to their challenges.
So there you have it. I am 74 years old and I admit that I love being a lawyer.
My other confession is that whenever I tell people that I am a lawyer, I frequently hear them state a belief that all lawyers are rich and only care about the money. Sorry but they are wrong. Most of the lawyers I know (while making varying amounts of money) all work very hard for their clients. Please don’t shed a tear for us, but do try and remember that we really do work long hours to protect the interests of our clients whether they are injury victims, criminals, the Public, local businesses or insurance companies.
My final confession is this one. I got into law school with the goal of trying to make a difference in the world, not make a pile of money. In the many years since I graduated I have been blessed to assist thousands of persons to calmly resolve problems complicating their lives. At 74 years of age, I confess that I can’t believe I am as lucky as I am to be a lawyer.
Finally, I confess that some day I will give up my job. But not just yet.