The American Bar Association just saw its credibility drop precipitously in the public eye. Of course, if their lawyer of the year award was meant for a candidate that has no regard for the law, and is most qualified by how he can avoid laws and lie to Congress and the American people, then by all means, Alberto Gonzales is the winner by a large margin. Not only did they pick Gonzo, the winner for next year was also selected, who just happens to be his successor, Michael Mukasey.
From RawStory:
Negative news coverage may have cost former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales his job, but it won him a dubious honor Wednesday from a magazine published by the American Bar Association: Lawyer of the Year.
Additionally, the ABA Journal named Gonzales' successor, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, as its top lawyer for 2008 -- mostly in anticipation of how often he'll be in the media spotlight for trying to repair the beleaguered Justice Department.
The monthly magazine gave the awards to lawyers who made the most news, said editor and publisher Edward A. Adams.
"Think about Time magazine's Person of the Year," Adams said in an interview. "In years past they've named people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin. So we're not suggesting by these awards that these are the best lawyers in any sense of the word. We are saying they are the most newsworthy -- and perhaps also the best."
It is an odd way of selecting the best lawyer for the year, but then it makes the award somewhat of a shaming event. I guess "Time Magazine" has a similar standard, as do the winners of a "floozy" award or in the movie industry, the "Razzies." Well if I ever became a lawyer, I would definitely not want to be trying to win this, or even be nominated.
Perhaps Gonzales can use this award to show the judge what an upstanding citizen he is when they try him for crimes against the Constitution.
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