Country Lawyer Approval Rating

When we think of approval rating’s we usually think about politicians. Right now the Kansas Governor and the President have approval ratings in the low 30’s. A politician can feel good if 50% of the people approve of the job they are doing.

You know I pride myself as a Country Lawyer and we struggle with an approval rating too. In a small town, for every winner of a case, there is a loser too. A Country lawyer can’t be afraid to take on the controversial case or client and consequently does not lack for friends and enemies. The Country lawyer brings the case against the city; challenges the zoning board and, in a thousand ways, the community keeps score. The Country lawyer has the job of bringing difficult cases to resolution.

I can report that as of this morning, my approval rating is 50%. I slipped into the grocery store early to avoid the crowd. While looking at the bananas, a woman who looked vaguely familiar approached me and said: “I just want you to know that you saved my son’s life and now he is doing well.” I thanked her and felt good as she walked away.

As I approached the checkout, I saw the attendant who had been the defendant in a case I remembered all too well. By the pained expression on his face, he remembered me too. I did us both a favor and checked out at a different station. As I left, I thought: 50%, that’s not too bad!