Damn. John Edwards did Corporate Law

[NewHampster]

Mr. Goody two shoes isn't so perfect after all.

QUOTE from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards

After law school, he clerked for a Federal judge and in 1978 became an associate at the Nashville law firm of Dearborn & Ewing, doing primarily trial work, defending a Nashville bank and other corporate clients. The Edwards family returned to North Carolina in 1981, settling in the capital of Raleigh where he joined the firm of Tharrington, Smith & Hargrove

[Donnachaidh]

1. desperation time for the Bots

Haven't access John's kindergarden records yet? Someone in your camp is falling down on the job. Better get that whip cracking!

:rofl:

[niceypoo]

9. Well, thats a reasoned defense...

[bobbolink]

33. A perfect match for a "reasoned" attack.....

[Catchawave]

59. As JE would say..."It's Silly Season" !

:rofl:

[Triana]

47. Yep. He's risen to the top when the Bots start firing (n/t)

[FreakinDJ]

2. The minds of Babes

HILlarious isn't it

[Triana]

48. Yep. HILLarious. Absolutely (n/t)

[OHdem10]

3. When Clerking for a Judge after Law School, most cases are

going to be Corporate Law.

It is much more significant that he spent most of life
defending those who really needed an Advocate.

[no name no slogan]

5. Hey, quit picking on Wal-Mart

big, ruthless, town-destroying mega-corporations have feelings, too.

[bobbolink]

34. Oh, poo... you're going to stoop to the facts....

:hi:

:thumbsup:

[Armstead]

4. Oh how awful

I don't think he claims to be Mr. Goody Two Shoes.

I did some stuff in my 20's (the same era that Edwards was in Corporate Law) that I would scratch my head about now.

[smalll]

13. Yes, but I'd bet you don't repeatedly claim to have been working for The People "all my life."

Or "ole mah laaf" either. :shrug:

[Armstead]

19. Show me a candidate who doesn't puff up his resume a bit

I wonder if Hillary counted her time at the Rose law firm as part of her 35 years dedicated to public service.

I doubt she only took that job because there weren't any openings in the public defenders office.

[bobbolink]

35. Orrrrr, you could read #3, and actually understand the facts...

[yardwork]

62. Making fun of a person's regional accent is so progressive, too.

[Sanity Claws]

6. So what?

He was around 25 and needed to get experience. He worked for a good law firm and represented the clients his firm brought in. He chose not to stay there and instead went out and represented individuals.
BTW, I am an attorney and this is a familiar story. One is not able to hang up one's own shingle when fresh out of law school, at least not do so and do a good job.

[bobbolink]

37. Oh, no! You must be hiding some skeletons in *your* closet, too...

~~hands to cheeks in astonishment~~

thanks for trying to post the reality, but... doubt that it will have much effect.

If this is the best attack they can find, I think Edwards is in pretty good shape.

:hi:

[Sanity Claws]

60. Hands to cheeks in astonishment back at you!

I really wish the folks here would not attack other Dems. There are some whom I like less than others but any one of them is a huge improvement over anyone on the other side. :hi:

[Andy823]

7. Hey, don't forget

To go back and get some dirt on his "kindergarten" days! :silly:

[sandyd921]

8. and...?

:rofl:

[Flabbergasted]

10. You don't even agree with "Hillary's centrist views; just want to be on the winning team?"

[asdjrocky]

11. Are you kidding?

Nuff said?

[Vickers]

12. Rose Law Firm in the 70s represented WalMart, Tyson Foods, Worthen Bank...

Oops.

[annie1]

28. Right?! what a dumb argument from a hill supporter to talk about edwards law career.

[JDPriestly]

14. That is how many civil lawyers learn the trade in the early years.

You do not learn to be a lawyer in law school. You just learn how to read and understand law and "think like a lawyer." The better and, I must ad, more promising students (often leaves out a lot of great people who don't fit the "promising" mold like older graduates or minorities or people with disabilities) get jobs with big firms including insurance defense and corporate firms. There, new graduates learn how to practice law, how to calendar, how to deal with secretaries, do a lot of fundamental research and writing and pay their dues almost like an apprenticeship. There are three other alternatives. The first is to go into practice for yourself. Sounds great, but is pretty unrealistic unless you have a professional background like CPA and can build on that. Here in California, the judges will sanction you, i.e., make you pay sometimes large sums of money if you make stupid mistakes in filing motions, etc. I know a guy just starting out who was sanctioned $5,000 by a judge a few months after starting his practice.

Another alternative is to work for a non-profit. But, if you have large student loans (and most do) to pay back, you can't afford to work for the wages they pay and still live. The third alternative is to get a job for a plaintiff's firm. But that is hard to do. The jobs just aren't that easy to find. Why should a plaintiff's firm working for contingency fees pay someone who is just starting out when they can hire people who have worked for a couple of years for a defense firm and who know the ropes? Plaintiff's firms, with a few important exceptions, just don't hire that many graduates right out of law school. I am discussing the market in California, but that is my experience.

A few attorneys start out as clerks or research attorneys in the courts. Again the pay is barely sufficient to pay back law school debts and live, but it can be done, and in many ways this is the best experience.

Criminal lawyers usually start either in the public defenders' office (most common first job in criminal law) or in the district attorney's office. It is also possible to start out in a private criminal defense firm, but those jobs again won't pay as well and are not so plentiful.

Of course -- I am not talking about lawyers in other fields such as family law, tax law, probate, wills, trusts, etc. I am also not talking about lawyers who work for municipal law firms.

John Edwards' career was focused almost entirely on the plaintiff's side. His corporate work should be viewed as training. That was not his calling. Working civil defense for a couple of years is a great way to develop the skills and understanding to become successful as a plaintiff's attorney. It's like playing one position in sports and then playing the opposite. You can better predict what your opponent in the other position will do if you have played that position yourself.

There is nothing shameful about Edwards' career in this respect.

[Jane Austin]

15. No problem with his history.

Just that he does keep saying he's been working for the people and against "corporate greed" all his life.

People who call into Thom Hartmann's show and others repeat that again and again.

They even say his father was a Union man.

His story is good enough without the exaggerations.

[NewHampster]

17. Edwards best work was as an ambulance chaser

You know the guy on your TV telling you to sue your neighbor because your dumb ass kid dove into the shallow end of his pool.


List is here in table format http://news.findlaw.com/newsmakers/john.edwards.html

Major Cases Litigated by John Edwards:
The charts below contain a selection of the multi-million dollar cases litigated by John Edwards during his legal career, including personal injury & product liability cases, medical malpractice cases, and motor vehicle injury cases.
PERSONAL INJURY & PRODUCT LIABILITY CASES
Beyond representing clients in routine personal injury cases, Edwards developed a specialty in swimming pool injury cases. In one case involving a 5-year-old girl who was disemboweled by suction from a pool drain, the jury awarded her $25M, the highest personal injury award in North Carolina history at the time.
Case Summary of Facts Case Type Result
Lakey v. Sta-Rite Industries
(Wake Co. Superior Ct., NC, 1996) 5-year-old girl was disemboweled, but survived, after being caught and suctioned by wading pool's defective drain. Despite 12 prior suits with similar claims, manufacturer continued to make and sell drain covers lacking warnings. Product
Liability $25M
settlement
Passe v. General Transport Systems, Inc.
(Wake Co. Superior Ct., NC, 1997) 850-lb. box delivered to attorney's home, fell on him breaking his back, causing paraplegia, and confinement to wheelchair. Negligence $4M
settlement
Weckbacher v. J.B. Hunt Transport
Servs., Inc.
(U.S. Dist. Ct., E.D.N.C. 1997) 33-year-old died during rescue attempt after head-on pickup–tractor-trailer collision. Settlement included worker's comp claim. Wrongful Death $3M
settlement
Buck v. Atlantic Veneer Corp.
(Carteret Co. Superior Ct., NC, 1987) Worker fractured both ankles, jaw, and skull after fall from 24-foot scaffold in defendant's plywood plant. Premises
Liability $2.3M
verdict
Morgan v. Southeast Jurisdictional Admin.
Council, Inc.
(Wake Co. Superior Ct., NC, 1988) 14-year-old girl rendered quadriplegic from neck injury resulting from improperly supervised dive into shallow end of defendants' pool. Premises
Liability $875K
settlement
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES
Another specialty Edwards developed was in medical malpractice cases involving problems during births of babies. According to the New York Times, after Edwards won a $6.5M verdict for a baby born with cerbral-palsy, he filed at least 20 similar lawsuits against doctors and hospitals in deliveries gone wrong, winning verdicts and settlements of more than $60M.
Case Summary of Facts Case Type Result
Griffin v. Teague, et al.
(Mecklenburg Co. Superior Ct., NC, 1997) Application of abdominal pressure and delay in performing c-section caused brain damage to infant and resulted in child having cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia. Verdict set record for malpractice award. Medical Malpractice

$23.25M
verdict
Campbell v. Pitt County Memorial Hosp.
(Pitt County, NC, 1985) Infant born with cerebral palsy after breech birth via vaginal delivery, rather than cesarean. Established North Carolina precedent of physician and hospital liability for failing to determine if patient understood risks of particular procedure. Medical
Malpractice $5.75M
settlement
Wiggs v. Glover, et al. Plaintiff alleged infant's severe cerebral palsy was caused by negligent administration of pitocin, failure to use fetal monitor, or timely intervening in baby's fetal distress. Medical
Malpractice 2.5M
settlement
Cooper v. Craven Regional Med. Ctr., et al. Infant suffered severe brain damage after obstetrician failed to moderate use of Picotin after baby displayed clear fetal distress. Medical
Malpractice $2.5M
settlement
Dixon v. Pitt County Memorial Hospital
(Pitt County, NC) Birth-related injuries including cerebral palsy and mental retardation allegedly caused by obstetrician's failure to diagnose fetal distress, including umbilical cord wrapped around baby's neck prior to delivery. Medical
Malpractice 2.4M
settlement
Sawyer v. St. Joseph's Hospital Doctor prescribed drug overdose of anti-alcoholism drug Antabuse, resulting in permanent brain and nerve damage. Medical
Malpractice $3.7M
verdict
Estate of Fuller v. Mazzaglia 38-year-old female committed suicide after psychiatrist discontinued suicide watch. Medical
Malpractice $2.3M
verdict
Allen v. Bostic
(Forsyth Co. Superior Ct., NC, 1991) Doctor's delay and failure to properrly treat 45-year-old's severely lacerated foot ultimately required amputation of foot three years later. Medical
Malpractice $.6M
settlement
MOTOR VEHICLE INJURY CASES
Another specialty Edwards developed was in motor vehicle accident and injury cases involving tractor-trailers.
Howard v. Collins & Aikman Corp.
(NC Superior Ct., 1990) Suit against trucking company by estate of man killed by company driver, arguing that company acted recklessly in paying drivers by the mile, thereby encouraging unsafe conduct. Truck
Accident $6.5M
verdict
Kim v. Poling & Bacon Construction Co., Inc.
(Wake Co. Superior Ct., NC, 1992) Head-on car-truck collision injured 5 in car, including 7-year-old who suffered fractured skull and massive brain injury Truck
Accident $5.9M
settlement
Casey, et al. v. Fredrickson Motor Exp. Corp.
(Buncombe Co. Superior Ct., NC, 1991) Part-time employee suffered severe brain damage after vehicle collided with defendant's semi-truck. Truck
Accident $4.5M
verdict

[JDPriestly]

21. "Ambulance chaser"

If you every get seriously injured in an accident, you're going to hope you have one. It's fine to accept insurance settlements if you have a minor fender-bender. But if you have something serious, you need a serious lawyer.

"Ambulance chaser" is the nasty way of saying fighter for justice for helpless and needy people.

You don't get the kinds of verdicts Edwards got without having facts that deserve them. Edwards chose his cases well. He could get the cases with merit because he is an excellent attorney.

If Edwards were just an "ambulance chaser," he would not be the champion of affordable healthcare that he is. Based on my experience living in Europe for quite a few years (where they have single payer health insurance and less litigation), I believe that the best way to end what people seem to think of as excessive litigation is to bring in universal healthcare, meaning affordable healthcare for all.

The engine of personal injury litigation is medical costs including future medical costs. The kinds of verdicts Edwards gets may include punitive damages, but the punitives in many states are based on the amount of the calculable damages such as the medical costs, loss of income, etc. If you cut out the medical costs by insuring that people will never lack good medical care regardless of how severe their injury or how low their income, you get rid of a major fear of poverty and no medical care and that incentive to sue.

Believe me, people do not sue others unless they have to. Being the plaintiff in a lawsuit is a horribly stressful experience even if you are represented by one of the best lawyers. The litigation process turns plaintiff's life into an open book. Being a plaintiff is an ordeal. That Edwards' former clients stand on the stage and sing his praises demonstrates to me that those clients did not view Edwards as an "ambulance chaser," but as a friend in need.

[gmudem]

22. Great post JD!!

Man you really showed NewHamster what an ignorant clown he really is.

[bobbolink]

40. "Ambulance chaser" is the RW term to get people to give up their rights,

and hand their lives over to the corporations.

It's VERY disturbing to see how many "liberals" and "progressives" use these RW terms!

[spooky3]

45. very well said!

[ChiciB1]

49. Thank You For Clarification!! Seems SOME People Are Getting A Case Of

THE JITTERS!!! Being an ambulance chaser as opposed to being an experienced lawyer who was NOT AFRAID to go up against the BIG BOYS, when the less fortunate needed him, is pure JEALOUSY on your part!!

Hope you are never in need of any serious help. My sister-in-law was unable to get help because her husband was in the Air Force... her arm works very little now!!

There are times when lawyers actually DO help, especially when the BIG BOYS have all the marbles!! I'm sorry for going off like this, but lying is UGLY and dirty pool to boot!

[annie1]

26. Those cases look like a plus for edwards in my opinion. He was a damn good laywer...

that fought tough cases (says this hil supporter). that's a bullshit argument.

[Bluebear]

30. "Ambulance chaser": rightwing slime word for someone who gets $ from corporation to victim

[annie1]

31. it disgusts me when i hear democrats use that type of language vs. edwards. they're so ignorant.

[ShadesOfGrey]

39. Yep. This smear tactic backfired on the repukes bigtime...

when Edwards ran for NC Senator.

[KaptBunnyPants]

57. Shame on you.

You reflect very poorly on your candidate.

[yardwork]

63. Edwards won important cases that protect consumers. That's what Democrats do.

What's the matter with you?

[Bozita]

18. Helluva post!

Thank you.

[Catchawave]

58. Thanks for the excellent explanation JD !

More people need to read his book, Four Trials to understand what a big heart he had too :hi:

[depakid]

16. A lot of lawyers cut their teeth in firms like that

For instance, many PI lawyers cut their teeth doing insurance defense- which can be invaluable down the line in terms of knowing how they think.

[Two Americas]

20. don't vote for FDR, either

No American President came from a more privileged and patrician background than Franklin Roosevelt. He was educated by private tutors, had all of the advantages of the super-wealthy, attended all of the right schools - even though he was a poor student - and he toured Europe 8 times before he was 16.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park, New York on January 30, 1882, the son of James Roosevelt and Sara Delano Roosevelt. His parents and private tutors provided him with almost all his formative education. He attended Groton (1896-1900), a prestigious preparatory school in Massachusetts, and received a BA degree in history from Harvard in only three years (1900-03). Roosevelt next studied law at New York's Columbia University. When he passed the bar examination in 1907, he left school without taking a degree. For the next three years he practiced law with a prominent New York City law firm. He entered politics in 1910 and was elected to the New York State Senate as a Democrat from his traditionally Republican home district.

Though admirers have cited FDR's "courage" in defying the statewide Democratic machine, he was actually doing exactly what his overwhelmingly Republican constituents expected of him.

From the FDR library at Marist college.

And the corruption...

The main weakness of Roosevelt's gubernatorial administration was the corruption of the Tammany Hall machine in New York City. Roosevelt had made his name as an opponent of Tammany, but needed the machine's goodwill to be re-elected in 1930.

And the personal flaws...

Roosevelt conducted affairs outside his marriage, including one with Eleanor's social secretary Lucy Mercer, with whom Roosevelt began an affair soon after she was hired in early 1914.

from Wikipedia

FDR is not perfect. We should reject him.

[NoPasaran]

24. Being dead for more than sixty years is reason enough for me

If the Dems don't nominate a living candidate in 2008, I'm sitting this one out or writing in Kodos.

[Two Americas]

42. lol

Well, see, you are an exceptionally astute voter then.

[TeamJordan23]

23. Barack goes into community work and than civil rights law. Edwards goes corporate.

This must bother Edwards supporters.

[FrenchieCat]

27. I don't think that this bothers Edwards supporters at all, in fact.....

I don't believe that there is anything that they could find out about John Edwards that would bother them, no matter what it was.

Edwards supporters are clearly convinced that John Edwards will do what John Edwards is now saying he will do....And if in the process John Edwards doesn't do what he said that he would do, know that most of his supporters will continue to love his 3 day old dirty drawers.

It's just one of those things. :shrug:

[Bluebear]

32. Just like Obama supporters forgive his pandering to bigots and throwing gays under the bus.

As you say: :shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

43. Correct......just like Edwards supporters can rationalize

Edwards not doing pro-bono cases.... http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921189.html

or his co-sponsorship of the IWR while advocating support for war and waiting 3 years to "apologize",
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/WesDem/175

Voting for the Bankruptcy Bills,
http://jre-whatsnottolike.com/2007/08/19/edwards-and-2001-bankruptcy-bill/


China Free Trade,
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=2&vote=00251

Yucca Mountain as a depository,
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20071118/ELECTIONS/111180127

supporting "right to work" legislature,
http://www.joebiden.com/newscenter/pressreleases?id=0136

profiting from Fortress Hedgefunds in multiple ways throughout '05-'07, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/22/AR2007042201339.html
while claiming no knowledge of what Fortress was actually doing in May,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/10/AR2007051002277.html
and his decision in Mid August of this year to continue to keep his money invested in Fortress (read last sentence of first paragraph)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/18/us/politics/18edwards.html?ref=us

calling out Iran and then changing his tune,
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?pid=161493

implying that his race and gender makes him most electable,
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071028/NEWS08/310280075

Confusion between Edwards' various "help to the poor" enterprises, and which ones did what and for whom - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/us/politics/22edwards.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

his acceptance of matching funds,
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/28/385769.aspx


etc.....

You are correct. Many candidate supporters are extremely tolerant of all and/or any positions their candidate takes.

[GreenArrow]

61. FrenchieCat

I do love the way you lay that stuff out!

But, I fear, to no avail. Still, I foresee, should Edwards be elected, much weeping and gnashing of teeth amongst his supporters.

[annie1]

25. So what?

[ShadesOfGrey]

29. Hillary was a corporate lawyer too. So what? n/t

[Triana]

50. Bingo. Good Moniker, bytheway, ShadesOfGrey (n/t)

[Joe the Revelator]

36. I like him better now that I know he was a corporate lawyer for awhile

The greed of corperations is only eclipsed by the greed of some people.

[mtnsnake]

38. Good find, NH. I clearly remember someone claiming how he didn't do that.

:thumbsup:

[Stop Cornyn]

41. Please, Please, Please DON'T TELL ME HE WAS ON THE WAL*MART BOARD FOR YEARS AND DID NOTHING ABOUT

Wal*Mart's union busting.

A corporate lawyer is bad enough, but a corporate lawyer who was also on the Wal*Mart board should be EXPELLED from the party!

[Triana]

51. Bwahahahaa! Touche. (n/t)

[MethuenProgressive]

44. It's just wiki - the Edwardians will edit out "corporate" soon.

Just like Edwards has edited his Senate record...

[Snotcicles]

46. I'll bet if you dig real deep you'll find

that he goes to the bathroom also.

[ChiciB1]

52. AND he Might Have A "Wide Stance" Too!! n/t

[The Doctor.]

53. "And once, when he was in high-school, he bought a subscription to Reader's Digest!"

That Corpo-creep!

[bobbolink]

64. And with a coupon in one edition, he sent away for a H-U-G-E house!

"Corpo-creep", indeed.

Thanks for the humor! :hi: :thumbsup:

[IndyOp]

54. Corporate law - 4 years. Defending the people - 20 years. (n/t)

[Forkboy]

55. My god!

Maybe Penn can get a poll going about that!

[DemKR]

56. becoming like obamanation n/t