Love Your Lawyer

Nov. 4 marked the national holiday in which one takes an enlightened look at America’s attorneys and shows them some love.

Love Your Lawyer Day turned 16 this year, and creator Nader Anise, of the American Lawyers Public Image Association (ALPIA), is striving to strike up a day of social-media success following 2015’s viral presence.

“Will we get featured again on the front page of The Wall Street Journal?” Anise is quoted as asking in a PR Newswire press release. “I guess we’ll see.”

Last year, Love Your Lawyer Day received press from not only from The Journal but also from Bloomberg and Forbes and became a trending topic on Twitter.

“This year’s festivities will be unlike all previous years with our 11/4 at 11:04 a.m. synchronized social media engagement,” Anise said in the release. “We’re taking this global in a big way!”

His goal: to flood the Internet with the hashtag #LoveYourLawyerDay and messages of admiration, gratitude and praise to the men and women who stand up for justice.

“Even before Shakespeare, Lawyers have routinely gotten a bad rap,” states the Days of the Year Web site, referring to the line in William Shakespeare’s Henry VI that espouses, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” “Opined as the sum of all evils, and often the subject of some very unflattering metaphors, Lawyers are the subject of some of the most well-known jokes around.”

Atticus Fitch Fights for Justice in the Face of Racism

To counter the bad rap that has surrounded counselors since the 16^th century, shout-outs to those who soar as legal eagles can be made on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, as well as Twitter and other online entities. The movement entails sending out as many positive vibes as possible and refraining from wisecracks, no matter how funny they might be. In addition, lawyers are being asked to spend one hour during the day doing pro-bono work or volunteering for charity.

“Every day lawyers are hired to defend those accused of crimes, represent those who cannot defend themselves, and work in every aspect of modern society,” according to Days of the Year. “Much as they may be generally reviled, we owe much of our civilization’s smooth operations to these masters of the legal code.”

Here are some ways to celebrated Love Your Lawyer Day:

• Call, email or text your lawyer and tell him or her you appreciate their service and support.
• Send a bouquet of flowers, a gift basket or a greeting card to the firm.
• Treat your lawyer to lunch.
• Donate to a nonprofit organization in your lawyer’s honor.
• Write a testimonial about how you were represented.

“If you’ve ever been helped by a legal professional, use Love Your Lawyer Day to thank them for all they’ve done,” Days of the Year states. “We’ve all got more to thank them for than we realize.”