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A … of Baby Lawyers/articling/law Students
David Cheifetz and I consider that it would be a major contribution to both the English language and the profession if we had a collective noun for any or all of the groups that I have mentioned or, indeed, for any other group within the profession: a parade of judges, a snarl of litigators perhaps.
David and I (assisted by an impartial arbiter in the event of a tie) will choose the winning entries and offer the winners some unimaginably fabulous prizes.
There is a site, http://www.rinkworks.com/words/collective.shtml, where there is a longer (and more dubious) collection of collective nouns than I have encountered before.
Allow me to start – even though, as judges, John and I are disqualified. Nemo judex in sua causa, of course.
A lagniappe of litigators (understood ironically, of course, unless one emphasizes the qualitative aspect).
A murder of Masters (certainly rhetorical).
Extra bonus points, by the way, for suggestions which are onomatopoeic and alliterative.
Alliteration is always a favourite with me! (Well, look at my name for heaven’s sake).
a leverage of law librarians
8-)
In my moments of discouragement, “pack of wolves” or “swarm of locusts” come to mind.
To be fair-minded, how about a “legion of lawyers” as a general description?
As for baby lawyers, given the taste in music of most of my contacts in the under-30 group, how about “a posse”?
a crib of baby lawyers
a max of mooters
a lesson of law librarians
The Edmonton Law Libraries Association has used
F.O.O.L.S. Fresh out of Law School to refer to articling students – as in don’t be FOOLS attend the HeadStart Program.
Becauses fools is too derogatory how about
Swarm of Students
which is less derogatory, but perhaps too general
Michel-Adrien,
Well … some might wonder about how fair-minded “legion of lawyers” is, when you remember the context and reputed source of”my name is legion”.
But that would be an impish objection.
The late Jeff MacNelly, in his marvellous comic strip “Shoe,” coined a collective noun for the ages: “a conspiracy of lawyers.”
How about “an ego of lawyers”?
An indefinite article of students at law?
A battery of barristers?
A cavil of counsel?
A barratry of barristers.
On the other hand, a choir of counsel sweetly singing.
Is a “panic” of students derogatory?
not for the client(s) who have to pay, and anybody else who suffers from such panic attacks.
My top ten offerings.
A bombast of barristers
Un neanmoins des notaires
A nitpick of conveyancers
Un jaillisement des juristes
A school of scriveners
Une sotise des avocats
An ambiguity of advocates
A chatter of attorneys-general
Une jaserie des ministères de la justice
A complacency of Benchers
OK, now that we have candidates in both *official* language – hockey, lacrosse, and hoserish are not languages – do we have any readers fluent in a Inuit or another of the Eskimo-Aleut languages to add (and translate) a candidate?
Or somebody affiliated with Akitsiraq Law School who knows a transliteration in consequence?