Dear Editor, 
              Regarding our lawyers.  As a qualification, I've worked very closely with our legal professionals for the past 25 years in five different states and the federal system.  During my time observing the give-and-take of the courtroom, I have had the privilege to come in contact with thousands of lawyers and hundreds of judges in our country, and I salute them for their integrity and dedication. 
              These folks fight our battles for us, they are our civil soldiers.  Our public defenders, prosecutors, divorce lawyers, personal injury attorneys, these are the people that do our heavy lifting, protect our rights, fight our fights in a court of law.  They are all bound ethically to defend our rights and redress our grievances, even though they may not agree.  If they hire-on as your attorney, they must protect your rights and plead your case.  They are bound by law. 
              Speaking of law, we are so fortunate to live in a country ruled by law rather than might.  As an example, here in King County our courthouse was built in 1913, before women had the right to vote.  Yet, because we live by the rule of law, and live in a representative democracy, in that old courthouse that was built at a time when women were excluded, we have approximately 50 percent female judges, 40 percent female lawyers and the support staff is overwhelmingly female.  We are all afforded union representation.  All because we live by the rule of law. 
              We praise, revere, and respect our military soldiers but when it comes to our civilian soldiers we bash them, criticize them, ridicule them.  Maybe we should honor them and respect our legal professionals just as we do our military professionals. 
              I was told by a judge when I first started my career that the true sign of a free society is the citizens' ability to go to civil court and fuss-and-fight, spit-and-moan, receive justice without resorting to violence.  Don't ever give up our right to sue nor ever cap jury verdicts. 
              What a wonderful country. 
   
              Sincerely, Dan Lavielle
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