Attorneys/Lawyers: Signing with Esq.= pretentious

[Anonymous]

I would never use "Esquire" with my own name. It's not uncommon for attorneys to use it when addressing (especially formal) letters to another attorney, and my law school always uses it on fundraising letters. Sometimes attorneys with solo practices use it, kind of like a business name. IME (federal practice) attorneys don't use it when signing documents to be filed with the court.

Otherwise, it's a little pretentious. I would totally judge someone who used it outside of the legal context, like that SAHM who uses it with the PTA. That sounds like someone's a little anxious and defensive about being a SAHM.

[Anonymous]

My mortgage lender signs off with Esq!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wife of one of my friends is a SAHM. She's a lawyer by training. She uses Esq. in emails to PTA, Neighborhood List Servs, etc. Husband says it's "because in those situations, people don't know she's a lawyer." Right. Because in those situations, she's not. Pretentious.

This is HILARIOUS.

[Anonymous]

This drives me nuts. I agree with the PPs that you should never sign anything with Esq. I am an attorney and see it all the time. Stop it, people! Congrats on your law degree. Get over it.

[Anonymous]

I too would never sign myself as Esq. and it bugs me to see it done, whether in correspondence or on court filings. I've also heard attorneys refer to themselves during conference calls with judges as "This is Mr. So and So speaking" -- also annoying. Call yourself "John Smith" not "Mr. Smith" to identify yourself to the court reporter. If I'm sending a letter to an attorney I don't mind adding the Esq. -- I just wouldn't ever use it referring to myself.

Then again I am also highly annoyed by doctors who refer to themselves as "Dr. Smith" when calling, or even worse, who introduce themselves as "Dr. Smith" and then persist in calling me by my first name (or "Mom" if it's my kid's appointment). If you want to call yourself Dr. Smith, then do me the courtesy of calling me Ms. Jones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its an honorific, and it doesn't even necessarily mean someone is a lawyer.

Actually, it does indicate that you're a lawyer, and you can get in trouble for holding yourself out as a lawyer if you try to use it.

[Anonymous]

It's pretentious and usually used by lawyers who went to bad law schools. I see it as a sign of insecurity.

[Anonymous]

JD=graduated from law school
Esq=passed the bar

This is what my DH who is an attorney explained to me. He does not use either in his email signature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:JD=graduated from law school
Esq=passed the bar

This is what my DH who is an attorney explained to me. He does not use either in his email signature.

He's wrong, I'm sorry.
You can pass the bar exam but not be admitted to the bar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a dude in my agency who is basically a gal friday and he has like ten abbreviations after his name on signature line of email "John Doe, USN Ret, OPA, MPR, CRV, OSN"

I thought gal friday was female equivalent of right hand man. why would u use that for a man?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's pretentious and usually used by lawyers who went to bad law schools. I see it as a sign of insecurity.

This.

[Anonymous]

Unless you are a member of Wyld Stallyns, don't refer to yourself with the term esquire

Seriously, though, I use it only for address lines to opposing counsel and other attorneys to refer to them. I have never used it to refer to myself, and have not seen other lawyers use it to refer to themselves.

[Anonymous]

Been practicing law for 20 years. I have never signed my name using Esq. though frequently receive letters to me with Esq. in the salutation. In business letter "cc's"---often Esq. is used with the attorney addressees so that the various business people receiving a letter understand whether or not attorneys have been brought into the loop on a particular matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are a member of Wyld Stallyns, don't refer to yourself with the term esquire

Seriously, though, I use it only for address lines to opposing counsel and other attorneys to refer to them. I have never used it to refer to myself, and have not seen other lawyers use it to refer to themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Been practicing law for 20 years. I have never signed my name using Esq. though frequently receive letters to me with Esq. in the salutation. In business letter "cc's"---often Esq. is used with the attorney addressees so that the various business people receiving a letter understand whether or not attorneys have been brought into the loop on a particular matter.

It makes me cringe when I get letters addressed to "Larla Jones, Esq."