A lawsuit is a fruit-tree planted in a lawyer’s garden.
—Italian Proverb
A successful lawsuit is the one worn by a policeman.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Laws teach us to know when we commit injury and when we suffer it.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Lawyer, n. One skilled in circumvention of the law.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Adversaries in law strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Good laws make it easier to do right and harder to do wrong.
—William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98) English Liberal Statesman, Prime Minister
I was never ruined but twice; once when I lost a lawsuit and once when I won one.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
The law was made for one thing alone, for the exploitation of those who don’t understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from obeying it.
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German Poet, Playwright, Theater Personality
Doctors purge the body, ministers the conscience, lawyers the purse.
—German Proverb
Keep out of Chancery. It’s being ground to bits in a slow mill; it’s being roasted at a slow fire; it’s being stung to death by single bees; it’s being drowned by drops; it’s going mad by grains.
—Charles Dickens (1812–70) English Novelist
In cross examination, as in fishing, nothing is more ungainly than a fisherman pulled into the water by his catch.
—Louis Nizer (1902–1994) American Lawyer, Author
It is better to be a mouse in a cat’s mouth than a man in a lawyer’s hands.
—Spanish Proverb
Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.
—Charles Lamb (1775–1834) British Essayist, Poet
Lawyers and painters can soon change white to black.
—Danish Proverb
The lawyer will extend the frontiers of a fight.
—Japanese Proverb
A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.
—Herbert Spencer (1820–1903) English Polymath, Philosopher, Sociologist, Political Theorist
The good lawyer is not the man who has an eye to every side and angle of contingency, and qualifies all his qualifications, but who throws himself on your part so heartily, that he can get you out of a scrape.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Laws are like sausages. It is better not to see them being made.
—Otto von Bismarck (1815–98) German Chancellor, Prime Minister
The law is only one of several imperfect and more or less external ways of defending what is better in life against what is worse. By itself, the law can never create anything better. Establishing respect for the law does not automatically ensure a better life for that, after all, is a job for people and not for laws and institutions.
—Vaclav Havel (1936–2011) Czech Dramatist, Statesman
The laws and the stage, both are a form of exhibitionism.
—Orson Welles (1915–85) American Film Director, Actor
To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902) American Social Reformer
It is difficult to make our material condition better by the best law, but it is easy enough to ruin it by bad laws.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
Our demands are simple, normal, and therefore they are difficult to satisfy. All we ask is that an actor on the stage live in accordance with natural laws
—Constantin Stanislavski (1863–1938) Russian Actor, Theater Personality
Petty laws breed great crimes.
—Ouida (Maria Louise Rame) (1839–1908) English Novelist
Unless Hell is full, no lawyer will ever be saved.
—French Proverb
A judge is a law student who grades his own papers.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Somebody figured it out—we have 35 million laws trying to enforce Ten Commandments.
—Earl Wilson (1907–87) American Broadway Gossip Columnist
In a state where corruption abounds, laws must be very numerous.
—Tacitus (56–117) Roman Orator, Historian
Written laws are like spiders’ webs; they will catch, it is true, the weak and poor, but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful.
—Anacharsis (fl. 6th century BCE) Scythian Prince
Are not laws dangerous which inhibit the passions? Compare the centuries of anarchy with those of the strongest legalism in any country you like and you will see that it is only when the laws are silent that the greatest actions appear.
—Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) French Political leader, Revolutionary, Novelist, Poet, Critic
Law, without force, is impotent.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect.
—Walter Scott (1771–1832) Scottish Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Lawyer
A good lawyer is a bad neighbor.
—French Proverb
To some lawyers, all facts are created equal.
—Felix Frankfurter (1882–1965) American Judge
The spirit of moderation should also be the spirit of the lawgiver.
—Montesquieu (1689–1755) French Political Philosopher, Jurist
A lawyer is a gentlemen that rescues your estate from your enemies and then keeps it to himself.
—Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778–1868) Scottish Jurist, Politician
Scarcely any political question arises in the United States that is not resolved, sooner or later, into a judicial question.
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59) French Historian, Political Scientist
I sometimes wish that people would put a little more emphasis on the observance of the law than they do upon its enforcement.
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) American Head of State, Lawyer
Amongst the learned the lawyers claim first place, the most self-satisfied class of people, as they roll their rock of Sisyphus and string together six hundred laws in the same breath, no matter whether relevant or not, piling up opinion on opinion and gloss on gloss to make their profession seem the most difficult of all. Anything which causes trouble has special merit in their eyes.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
Divorce is a game played by lawyers.
—Cary Grant (1904–86) British-American Film Actor
The leading rule for the lawyer, as for the man of every other calling, is diligence. Leave nothing for to-morrow which can be done to-day.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
The severity of the laws prevents their execution.
—Montesquieu (1689–1755) French Political Philosopher, Jurist
The hands of a lawyer are always in someone’s pocket.
—Indian Proverb
Certainly one of the highest duties of the citizen is a scrupulous obedience to the laws of the nation. But it is not the highest duty.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
He who goes to law for a sheep loses his cow.
—Spanish Proverb
The graveyards are full of young lawyers, lost inheritance and young doctors.
—French Proverb
Some laws of state aimed at curbing crime are even more criminal.
—Friedrich Engels (1820–95) German Socialist Political Philosopher
It is impossible for us to break the law. We can only break ourselves against the law.
—Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959) American Film Producer, Director
Those laws, being forged for universal application, are in perpetual conflict with personal interest, just as personal interest is always in contradiction with the general interest. Good for society, our laws are very bad for the individuals whereof it is composed; for, if they one time protect the individual, they hinder, trouble, fetter him for three quarters of his life.
—Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) French Political leader, Revolutionary, Novelist, Poet, Critic