the Zealous

[T]he firm’s partners had elected me to membership. The good news came with a curious proviso, words that have stuck in my mind. “It’s clear that you won’t stay in private practice forever,” George [Pavia] said. “We know you’re destined for the bench someday. Dave [Botwinik] is even convinced you’ll go all the way to the Supreme Court. But with this offer, we ask only that you remain with us as long as you continue in private practice.”

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480-300 BCE
The earliest describable class of people as lawyers were likely "orators" in ancient Athens, but a true profession could not take hold or flourish then due to a ban on charging fees for such services. The Athenians believed that citizens should actively participate in their own legal affairs and be responsible for their actions. Hiring a representative would undermine this principle.

41-50 AD
The Roman Emperor Claudius lifted the ban on fees and legalized advocacy as a profession—but with a lifetime fee cap of 10,000 sesterces, or about US$5,000 today. This cap was too low to enable a true profession to flourish.

Slip and Fall Lawyer
Carl Reisman

I am becoming
an acolyte of the slip
and fall;
slips on water,
over concrete blocks,
on icy walks. My family
fed by falls.