--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are three sorts of lawyers - able…" description: "\"There are three sorts of lawyers - able, unable and lamentable.\" — Robert Smith Surtees" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/robert-smith-surtees-30525_able_there-are-three-sorts-of-lawyers-able-un_2754028.png" --- # There are three sorts of lawyers - able, unable and… ![“There are three sorts of lawyers - able, unable and lamentable.” quote by Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/robert-smith-surtees-30525_able_there-are-three-sorts-of-lawyers-able-un_2754028.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/robert-smith-surtees-30525_able_there-are-three-sorts-of-lawyers-able-un_2754028.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/robert-smith-surtees-30525_able_there-are-three-sorts-of-lawyers-able-un_2754028.png) > “There are three sorts of lawyers - able, unable and lamentable.” [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lawyers fall into three categories: competent, incompetent, and pitifully bad. **In simple terms:** Lawyers are either good, bad, or terrible. Key Takeaway Recognize competence, avoid the lamentable. Themes law competence humor Mood witty critical Type satirical observational When to use this quote - hiring legal counsel - evaluating advice - legal education Key Concepts satire professionalism categorization Questions to Reflect On - Which type of lawyer have you encountered? - How do you assess a lawyer's competence? A Different Perspective Labels oversimplify complex abilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyers/) ## Related quotes > [There may be said to be three sorts of lawyers, able, unable, and lamentable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith/there-may-be-said-to-be-three-sorts-of-lawyers-able-unable-and/) [Robert Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith/) > [There are no funny lawyers - only funny people who made a career mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-white/there-are-no-funny-lawyers-only-funny-people-who-made-a-career-mistake/) [Robert J. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-white/) > [Lawyers spend their professional careers shoveling smoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/lawyers-spend-their-professional-careers-shoveling-smoke/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. You've got to work on his conscience. And his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-think-you-can-make-a-lawyer-honest-by-an-act-of-legislature/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Whoever tells the best story wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/whoever-tells-the-best-story-wins/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise, in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/congress-errs-in-too-much-talking-how-can-it-be-otherwise-in-a-body/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Ignorance of the law excuses no man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/ignorance-of-the-law-excuses-no-man/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [To me a lawyer is basically the person that knows the rules of the country. 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But the dissemination of false information is lamentable and subject to criminal penalties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ii-prince-of-monaco/i-have-always-respected-the-freedom-of-expression-but-the/) [Albert II, Prince of Monaco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ii-prince-of-monaco/) ## More by Robert Smith Surtees > [Some think that people come to a ball to do nothing but dance; whereas everyone knows that the real business of a ball is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/some-think-that-people-come-to-a-ball-to-do-nothing-but-dance-whereas/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [There is no secret closer than what passes between a man and his horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/there-is-no-secret-closer-than-what-passes-between-a-man-and-his-horse/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [More people are flattered into virtue than bullied out of vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/more-people-are-flattered-into-virtue-than-bullied-out-of-vice/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [Three things I never lends - my 'oss, my wife, and my name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/three-things-i-never-lends-my-oss-my-wife-and-my-name/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [The horse loves the hound, and I loves both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/the-horse-loves-the-hound-and-i-loves-both/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [No one knows how ungentlemanly he can look, until he has seen himself in a shocking bad hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/no-one-knows-how-ungentlemanly-he-can-look-until-he-has-seen-himself/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [No man rides harder than my Lord Scamperdale - always goes as if he had a spare neck in his pocket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/no-man-rides-harder-than-my-lord-scamperdale-always-goes-as-if-he-had/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [Better be killed than frightened to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/better-be-killed-than-frightened-to-death/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [The country has its charms-cheapness for one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/the-country-has-its-charms-cheapness-for-one/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [Life would be very pleasant if it were not for its enjoyments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/life-would-be-very-pleasant-if-it-were-not-for-its-enjoyments/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [Women never look so well as when one comes in wet and dirty from hunting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/women-never-look-so-well-as-when-one-comes-in-wet-and-dirty-from/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [The supply of good fellows is by no means in excess of the demand. 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