Connecticut Magazine selects Koskoff lawyers as “Top Lawyers” in the state
Top Lawyers – Whom do lawyers call on when a loved one needs help?
Connecticut Magazine
July 1, 2001
Michael Koskoff Koskoff, Koskoff, and Bieder, Bridgeport Specialty: Personal Injury & Civil Litigation
What do you like most about your work?
What I like most is the ability to make an impact on clients’ lives. I consider myself privileged to be able to help people out of deprivation, misery and despair.
What do you like least?
I dislike the frustration of not being able to help resolve a case quickly enough. I share my clients’ frustration at the slow pace of litigation. I also dislike lawyers and judges who abuse the system by not treating all people with respect and dignity.
Do lawyers unduly influence modern American life?
No. I think most of what is best about America is the result of the work of lawyers – the Constitution, social-welfare laws, Medicare, etc. Lawyers are the only force standing between big business and big government, and the rights of individual citizens. As society gets more complex, the role of lawyers becomes more important.
Do lawyers get a “bum rap” in the media?
Yes, but I think it is inevitable as long as we’re doing our job. We remind society of those who have been left behind, uncover ugly truths, take on unpopular clients and their causes, criticize the powerful and redistribute wealth from rich to poor. Some abuse this role, but most lawyers work to protect the interests of those in need. Shakespeare is noted for the line, “First, let’s kill all the lawyers,” but he said it as the first step toward in tyrannical government. Lawyers stand in the way of tyranny.
Who is your favorite fictional lawyer?
I find fictional lawyers not nearly as inspiring as real lawyers throughout history – Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and, in modern times, Clarence Darrow. He used his enormous trial skills against the powerful on behalf of the injured and the poor.