After hearing news about the conviction of two of country’s top lawyers by the Delhi High Court, I decided to go through some jokes on lawyers (I simply love them!). While I was busy enjoying the jokes with a smile on my face, a thought crossed my mind and that broadened it. I wondered how two lawyers successfully became Father of the Nation for India as well as Pakistan. No offence to Mahatma Gandhi or Muhammad Ali Jinnah or to any of the lawyers across the globe, lest you drag my sorry ass to court, but it certainly amused me to an extent.  

Not being a fan of Mahatma Gandhi, I had to do some research on his career as a lawyer to get some answers. The first case that he got after returning to India in 1891 was of one Mamibai, though he absolutely refused to pay commission to a tout for it. When the proceedings started in the court for the case, Mahatma Gandhi was struck by lightning (not literally). His legs got weak and he was unable to speak, and fled from the courtroom. Later on, he began frequenting the Bombay High Court as a spectator, dozing off during the proceedings more often than not until he left for South Africa in 1893.  

On the other hand, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a very successful lawyer. He had some fame in Bombay and was very well established.  

These provided some direction to my thoughts, but also generated some more queries. Rather interestingly, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, our first Prime Minister, was also a lawyer. And so was Dr. Rajendra Prasad, our first President. It is a known fact that Pt. Nehru did not cherish either the practice of law or the company of lawyers. He became a lawyer in 1912 and by 1919 he was associated with Indian National Congress.

Even Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a lawyer and a very successful one too. C. Rajagopalachari, Chittaranjan Das and many more eminent leaders in our struggle for freedom were lawyers.  

Looking at the Indian history of freedom struggle and the contribution of lawyers, I surely would have lost interest in the jokes about lawyers long ago. But ending the flashback here, the lawyers making news these days are Sanjeev Bansal (Cash for judgment scam), R. K. Anand and I. U. Khan (BMW hit and run case), B. N. Aggarwal (PF Scam), M. S. Brahmabhatt (issuing arrest warrants for the President of India) and plenty more. Our great leaders must have tarnished your image but you have successfully redeemed it. A sincere thanks to you all, you surely live up to the reputation and keep the fun alive. Here’s one for all of you:  

Q: What’s the difference between a dead dog in the road and a dead lawyer in the road? 
A: There are skid marks in front of the dog. 

Not Funny? Sue me! 
Via ibnlive