Cu ocazia funerariilor din 7 October 2015 a Presedintei fondatoare a FEACU, avocat Paula Iacob, o delegatie a FMACU si FEACU a prezentat un ultim omagiu.
Femeia în profesia de avocat
Interviu cu Doamna Avocat Paula James
May 09, 2014
You are one of the most famous lawyers in Romania. Why did you choose this profession?
Initial, because I sat around the baptismal godparents who were doctors and my father's cousins, un mare oftal molech şi un internist the plea, m-am gândit să mă îndrept spre medicină. But, it is true that, It was probably my nature to speak for others. I remember, eight years, la înmormântarea unei colege, I found myself talking because I knew such a moment is say a few words.
Ulterior, I Realised that, in general, I wanted to help people choose between two views on the right, cred că întotdeauna a existat un spirit de echitate în ființa mea. But, for the sake of those uncles, I turned to medicine and gave university entrance exam. At a given moment, My father told me that he would want his daughter to get student 15 or, as Yulia Haşdeu. We failed to 15, the latter 16 or.
I graduated two classes in one year, as to prove to my father that he may have a child that răzbească alive. Asador, I gave medical exam, only my average was not high enough to get into Bucharest; It was after two summers where long learned to pass the two classes. Just created Faculty of Medicine in Timisoara and was to go there.
My father agreed, situation in which I said that, if I can not do medicine, I want to follow the Faculty of Law. In college I liked, in general, all subjects, and the idea of justice it seemed to me extraordinary. Nu am regretat niciodată că n-am urmat medicina. Am făcut foarte mult drept civil, dar, It is true, It drew penalties for, in college years, I had the great chance to do besides practice court
Ionel Teodoreanu, who was a passionate tumult legal, a great speaker, much of what I learned in the profession and I owe that practice in court. That's why, now, when I come to practice young students, I try, so far as I can, show them everything that beautiful profession, as medicine, you can not get a good lawyer, how can you not get exceptional medical, Unless you put in a corner, along with professional knowledge and a bit of soul.
Am avut norocul de a avea și în avocatură civiliști mari în apropiere. There was another big advocate of Moldova still came as Ionel Teodoreanu, Gheorghiu Vintilă, who guided several generations of lawyers and civil law we have all accumulated a very large extent. It would be, also, Professor Tudor Popescu. He gave us the example of absolutely superior intelligence, taught to think legal, aînvăţat us what is legal logic. There were elements who have done a lot to love this job, so that at an age when other women are more in line at the doctor, I n carol-country long and wide, and not only the country.
In my opinion, Law is a calling, If a man makes a cold and indifferent to the pain of those who use its services can not succeed. Therefore I say I loved all professions serving the human. Unfortunately, but, mercantile side started getting everywhere. During my youth, the student and then as a lawyer, We all struggled to make career first and then came the idea to collect money. It was not important. Important was, I say, for my generation, career.
Most of the professional work you spent in Court?
I was still young appreciated, I had some customers, dar, I tell you honestly, I ate the bread tribunal. I liked it and I understand that the life of the court and the lawyer can not live unless you love being on the stand. The bar means sometimes sit all day long in court. And now it happens, but I never feel fatigue because spiritual satisfaction that I have during the day of judgment, I have sometimes results can not be compared with any stylish pair of shoes, cu nicio poșetă de la o mare firmă. Bucuria pe care o are un avocat atunci când realizează ceva prin mintea, knowledge and effort they demonstrated in front of the court is huge.
Sometimes we do not understand, We conflicts with prosecutors, even judges sometimes lose patience, I can not speak with the respect that should rejoice each of us, but it does not matter. Are much higher compared to the small joys passing inconvenience. It's unpleasant moment, otherwise, everything passes.
In Romania there have been major changes in all fields. How did our legal system from the moment you entered this profession until today?
Outside the rigors related penalties had political character,, because clearly sought the destruction of a class, Right destruction policy ideas, so outside of everything related to the Military Tribunal and the kind of crimes (machination against the social order etc.), Substantive principles were reflected in the Criminal and Civil Codes, The Family Code. I remember I attended a congress of German Justice Day, where those present were extremely pleased with the way the issue was regulated in our child out of wedlock, that entitlement to inheritance, while many other countries legislation did not prescribe something.
Thus, The law itself was not a law to complain, dar, Unfortunately, Performances were made very often given the class struggle, interest and other items that the working class has no respect for the idea after '89, the legal system has evolved positively, meaning that there is now greater freedom of expression and thought, There are often able to get solutions to overcome the truth and not necessarily the prosecution, dar, Unfortunately, Lately, we kind of turned the idea mammoth files, dozens of volumes, that defense almost no time to read. Thus, I fear no judge, which has many causes, It can travel and, happens sometimes get away exactly one element that could settle in a certain way because. So, Mammoth idea of these files is a mistake and a return to justice the past.
You can not judge batches over plots. It is man who offend, only one. It goes now very much on the idea of organized crime. I would go more on personal act and the penalty they deserve every man mixes his thoughts with the behavior of some unnatural committing a criminal offense. This in criminal.
In civil, it happens, Unfortunately, As discussed above, namely the desire for money motivates people to action a moral ugliness that sometimes exceeds, in my opinion, chiar ideea de crimă. Se întâmplă lucruri urâte, brothers who deceives each other, ugliness and pettiness which demonstrates the human soul. Thus, and plainclothes have fought against all that is ugly, not only in criminal.
In civil, it happens, Unfortunately, As discussed above, namely the desire for money motivates people to action a moral ugliness that sometimes exceeds, in my opinion, chiar ideea de crimă. Se întâmplă lucruri urâte, brothers who deceives each other, ugliness and pettiness which demonstrates the human soul. Thus, and plainclothes have fought against all that is ugly, not only in criminal.
How would you define the legal profession?
Lawyer is a job that requires you a prodigious memory, Power to improvise, ability to bend over all the power of your thinking on the page "death" of a folder, pages which you must give life to the judge and prosecutor for them to understand why the man defending him, or a simple criminal defrauded of fate. I, I know well what depths of thought foate must include this profession sometimes, I love her, a delight.
This liberal profession is law, You should enjoy the world more love, because law means and culture. Great lawyers of this country were men of culture. We walk today on many streets named lawyers and have no idea that the street is named after a man who loved the idea of law, idea what comprises it, I say, the most beautiful feelings: dragoste față de adevăr și libertate. Profesia de avocat este profesia în care nu lovești, but defend, therefore I love her with all my heart and want to have as much life as will world.
What would you advise women who want to choose this profession? How difficult is it for a woman to practice law?
I must admit that women lawyers have a disability and I mean small voice, because man's voice is convincing, especially if a baritone voice, care îți place. When a man's voice lifted, energy spreads around. A woman who raised his voice so go to a psychiatric least that is called hysteria. I recently heard a lady lawyer who was very convinced of his ideas, but which, in my opinion, It is a small soprano.
So I say the voice is sometimes a disadvantage to women. But, if you manage to control your voice and boldly lead the, This disadvantage disappears and were situations where I saw many women defeating lawyer at the legal and logic to be to rule any plea, because to jump from one idea to another, without making a logical connection is a big mistake. I saw many women achieving good results because of the way to make your job.
I advise any young lawyer to go and read old magazines law. It's amazing what brilliant minds of those years had lawyers.
I have full appreciation for what it means women in the legal profession, women in social, in the family. We are part of humanity which should speak more beautiful, more.
Have you thought about heading to the business law?
As before there is no concept of supermarket, there were no such large law firms. They were small offices, Special little; it goes on law, in general.
That's why, I personally have not been able to go from one side to the Bar, perhaps because I am a man who bore me quickly and I could not see in front of just commercial contracts, as I could see only crimes. I like to take care and else, a divorţ, a partition, îmi place și să aflu dacă un tablou este cel original etc. În această profesie este viață. Therefore I say, you move towards all aspects is a great advantage. It is true that, now, modern idea is to go to the big law firms. Somewhere, I say that not wrong those who said "where are the two power grows". And I've got a few collaborators and trainees from me because I always thought that, if we think more, You can not go out a little more than a single brain. And I always had special children to cabinet, who then built a nice career.
That's why, I personally have not been able to go from one side to the Bar, perhaps because I am a man who bore me quickly and I could not see in front of just commercial contracts, as I could see only crimes. I like to take care and else, a divorţ, a partition, îmi place și să aflu dacă un tablou este cel original etc. În această profesie este viață. Therefore I say, you move towards all aspects is a great advantage. It is true that, now, modern idea is to go to the big law firms. Somewhere, I say that not wrong those who said "where are the two power grows". And I've got a few collaborators and trainees from me because I always thought that, if we think more, You can not go out a little more than a single brain. And I always had special children to cabinet, who then built a nice career.
What I reproach big houses law is that people sitting in the office from morning till evening, when we do practice twice a week. I do not want to stay glued to the cabinet man, because you really so free and less official. Asta înseamnă profesie liberală. Mie mi se pare o eroare a timpurilor pe care le trăim că în cabinete oferă consultanță juridică ingineri, mediators etc. In my opinion, The mediator should be known legal principles, They must have a knowledge base that would allow him to give advice.
The "portfolio" you. They belong to several highly publicized cases. It represented this an advantage or a disadvantage for career lawyer Paula Iacob?
Whoever says that is a disadvantage, prevaricate. I was a lawyer known before 1989, because, as I said, I was constantly in court. Coverage came after I appeared in a certain process. Nicu Ceausescu owe much of that today are so familiar.
Have you been actively involved in social life
My participation in social life was something extraordinary. I was fortunate that my husband, travel lover like me, I understood when I said I wanted to participate in the re-Romanian advocacy International Union of Lawyers, organization of which disappeared during the dictatorship. So, I came to Strasbourg. I participated, then, several congresses of the International Union of Lawyers and, one of these events I was approached by two ladies who told me: "You are in Romania, one of the first countries to set up the International Federation of Women in Legal Careers, why not come back to us? You had first Romanian lawyer, Ella Negruzzi ". And so I learned Ella Negruzzi, I read everything I could about this miracle of the legal world, the first woman to break the wall of the bar and managed to enter the world of advocacy, as the first woman doctor in law from the Sorbonne was also a Romanian.
Atunci a renăscut Asociația Femeilor de Carieră Juridică din România și cred că suntem una dintre cele mai vechi asociații nonguvernamentale din țară. So I returned and internationally, and I personally was elected Vice President of the World Federation.
Also due to this bending my social life to the world, I managed to organize, After I did the first UNESCO Club status in Romania, Romanian Federation of Associations, Centres and UNESCO Clubs, whose founding president is. More, because new, Romanians, Mrs Europea was established Centres Federation UNESCO, I was the first Romanian with management function, vicepreşedinte, and today I am happy that Daniela Popescu, UNESCO expert in Romania to be president of the European Federation and part of America.
Among your passions. include motorcycling and journalism
In college I worked in the press, I was sports journalist and those years have been helpful to me, meaning, talking to athletes, taking interviews, I learned to approach the soul, I learned to love and cherish man.
I had an extra satisfaction by going to football matches, Handball, and participation in the life of journalist served me and profession. And at this time are part of the editorial board of a newspaper is not widely known, Set up by a journalist who was Dic Baboian and whose boy, Karen Baboian, an engineer, He took over his father's job as a journalist to make this magazine, entitled Diplomat Club. It is a newspaper culture. And much needed cultural and especially legal culture.
I had an extra satisfaction by going to football matches, Handball, and participation in the life of journalist served me and profession. And at this time are part of the editorial board of a newspaper is not widely known, Set up by a journalist who was Dic Baboian and whose boy, Karen Baboian, an engineer, He took over his father's job as a journalist to make this magazine, entitled Diplomat Club. It is a newspaper culture. And much needed cultural and especially legal culture.
As motorcycle, in my childhood I wanted terribly much a motorcycle. Although my dad promised me buy, at one point even talking to someone, the transaction is made, then he said, "not, I do not want my child die in motorcycle accident ". And then I did the first course for referees in this country motorcycling and motoring. I was referee in national and international competitions, so I have a qualification in addition. I was the first teammate in a motorcycle with sidecar. But I wanted to participate and I to race, I 15 years and then some, and his parents knew nothing, only because someone told me he had seen my mother in public. I have not seen any curve, I saw nothing and so the contest was over and my, just a plowing, and my career motorcyclist.
I did Motoring. My husband participate with a friend on a machine and I another, But I did not finish the race because the car broke down. A trebuit însă să promit părinților că termin cu năzbâtiile auto-moto. Iubesc însă și literatura, music. I love everything beautiful in life. I wholeheartedly and hope, together with the leadership of the Bucharest Bar Association and the Bar to make a memorial of the great Romanian lawyers, which represented something for the history of Romanian. I love life, profession and not just big deal, I say, that age that I, rain for years does not forgive anyone, life is a joy for me.
Article published in the magazine Lady Lawyer, April 2014
