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Who are you calling ‘lawyer’? (Hopefully, not me or Kim Kardashian)
I understand the desire to be labelled a lawyer; it’s a badge of honour and hard work. But there is no glory in a mistaken title or false identity; only in precision, writes Adam Abbasi-Sacca.
Adam Abbasi-Sacca
It is with great pain that I admit — I was never admitted to practice as a lawyer. No cute picture outside of the NSW Supreme Court; unable to be ‘moved’ by a lawyer of influence in my life.
So, why am I doing it?
For most of my working life as a writer and a consultant, I have been referred to a lawyer by those outside of the profession. For most of my personal life that has been my experience, too.
“That’s Adam — he used to be a lawyer.”
And maybe I have relished in the status and notoriety that is attached to the confused application of such a label.
In NSW, the Department of Communities and Justice clearly defines what a ‘lawyer’ is a person who has:
- Studied law;
- Completed practical legal training; and
- Been admitted to the Supreme Court of their state or territory.
Consequently, I am not a lawyer and never have been. In recognising the hard work of thousands of practitioners that read this very article, it would be misleading to consider me as such. I’m no more than a meagre law graduate.
This admission would be relatively straightforward for many practitioners — but that fails to reflect the nuance of the subject matter for people who work with, for and around lawyers without practising.
Further, this very confusion does not come without very serious legal consequences. Particularly for those who pretend to be practising lawyers and abuse the trust of clients who seek legal protection, guidance and representation in good faith.
To highlight the gravity and complexity of this, I’d like to refer to an international example: Kimberley Noel Kardashian.
It is well-known (regardless of how sophisticated this readership is) that Ms. Kardashian is currently undertaking her studies to become a lawyer. That is, she is currently a law student and not admitted to practice.
By Australian standards, Ms. Kardashian would be excluded from the definition of a lawyer. And even now, with her legal studies unfinished, she would not fit the definition of a lawyer in California.
Yet, Ms. Kardashian is surrounded by a team of people who wear t-shirts with the phrase “Kim is my lawyer” (I’m looking at you, Khloe). Her ex-boyfriend, Mr. Pete Davidson even tattooed his neck during their relationship advising “my girl is a lawyer”.
Perhaps, the t-shirt slogans and tattoos were poorly drafted for the future-state Kim — once she graduates. A notion that would be more accurately served by text to the effect of ‘Kim will be my lawyer’.
Still, this does nothing to address the confusion caused to the lay reader as a result — one of Google’s top searches is ‘Kim Kardashian is a lawyer’.
I understand the desire to be labelled a lawyer; it’s a badge of honour and hard work. A relentless pursuit of study, commitment and continued training. The prestige associated with this title is one of the reasons why I studied law in the first place — that, and a secret addiction to reading 50-page obiter dictum in case judgements.
Now, it’s time to cut my losses and just accept the fact that I am (and will likely always be) a ‘law graduate’. While studying law, I was a ‘law student’ just like Kim. And maybe, if I never cut and run, finished my practical legal training and sought admission successfully, I would have been a ‘lawyer’ too.
I admit this because there’s no glory in a mistaken title or false identity; only in precision. Honestly, it’s also more convenient than letting people know individually.
Adam Abbasi-Sacca is a proud mixed-race Italian and Iranian Australian freelance writer whose work features in a range of Australian print and digital publications. He is a law graduate, with a background in policy and consulting on major programs.
