I was driving down a street in Memphis when I saw this:

Yes, that is a 40-50 foot replica of the Statue of Liberty holding a cross with “Return America to Christ” on the base of the statue.

This made me think of the contributions of lawyers, without whom this gift to humanity would not happened.  First, lawyers most certainly drafted the articles of incorporation for the non-profit that brought the statue to life.  Next, lawyers had to fight with the neighbors that thought such a statute might be a bit out of place in a residential area and likely attemped to use zoning laws to stop the construction.  Lawyers then would have negotiated with the sculptor to ensure the owners vision was met.  Finally, the owner likely has a First Amendment lawyer on speed dial to scare the bejesus out of anyone who dares challenge the very subtle message being sent.

Overall, legal fees were probably 15-25% of the total costs of the project.  Yet another example of the wonderful contributions we lawyers make to society.