Lawyer Jokes

From "Did You Hear the One About . . . ", an article by Marc Galanter in the January 2006 edition of Corporate Counsel. In researching my new book, "Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes and Legal Culture," I found that the preeminent subject of jokes set in large law firms is the tension between older partners and younger associates. Stories about how partners exploit associates - - and how junior attorneys turn the tables on their senior colleagues - - have been around for a long time . . . Consider the following joke: A paralegal, an associate, and a partner of a prestigious New York law firm are walking through Central Park on their way to lunch wheh they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a genie comes out in a puff of smoke. The genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one." "Me first! Me first!" says the paralegal. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof. He's gone. "Me next! Me next!" says the associate in astonishment. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of pina coladas, and the love of my life." Poof. She's gone. "You're next," the genie says to the partner. The partner says, "I want those two back in the library after lunch."