In the Nick of Time: One Week After Horrific Muni Crash, Trial Lawyers' Convention Hits San Francisco

'A barrister, my dear sir, is a taxi plying for hire. That is the fine tradition of our trade.'

If you've got some loose carpeting, creaky staircases, or, say, have been allegedly flouting safety rules to pad your public transit agency's on-time performance -- this would be a good time to tidy up. 

With eerie timing, the annual trial lawyers' convention hits San Francisco on Saturday, exactly one week after the massive Muni Light Rail Vehicle crash at West Portal station that hospitalized nearly 50 riders. If anyone hasn't lawyered up, now's your chance to hold up a cardboard sign reading "INJURED IN TRAIN CRASH" airport chauffer-style and have the attorneys beat a path to you.

Incidentally, the group meeting here in the city is the American Association for Justice. This is a clever title -- who will go on the record as being opposed to justice? It's also catchier than the organization's previous moniker, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; "trial lawyer" has been rendered an epithet these days. John Edwards hasn't helped.

"You're going to have more lawyers in San Francisco than you can shake a stick at," a veteran attorney told SF Weekly. It should be noted, however, that shaking a stick at a lawyer is ill-advised -- and could even be interpreted as assault.