> There is no such thing as "informal advice" from a lawyer, the same where there is no such thing as a "pick up game" with an NBA player.
The rest of your post is fascinating, and it made me understand this disclaimer much better; but surely this analogy is misleading.
If I've understood you correctly, there is, legally (or perhaps even by definition?), no such thing as informal advice from a lawyer; but surely it is only conventional that you will probably be in a pick-up game with an NBA player, as no regulation or law prohibits it. (Indeed, by analogy with any field whose practitioners tend to be passionate about it, I would assume that it is quite common for NBA players to play pick-up games with one another.)
Or perhaps, as someone ignorant of all things sports, I have missed the point of the analogy.
The point is that all advice from a lawyer is advice from a lawyer - the same way that an NBA player is still an NBA player whether he is in a playground or on a pro-sports stadium. The point is not what you call the game, it is that the service he is providing - professional level sports ability - remains the same. As in, he is not rendering a different type of service because he is on a playground as opposed to in Madison Square Garden. He is doing literally all the same things, with all the same risks - but for no money. And, importantly, he can still get injured, which would prevent him from doing the thing that makes him all the money.
> Indeed, by analogy with any field whose practitioners tend to be passionate about it, I would assume that it is quite common for NBA players to play pick-up games with one another.
I would be surprised, specifically for the 'injury' reason above. They don't play pick up games - they go to practice - which is supervised and has medical personnel right there. But who knows. That is speculation.
Yes, that's a difference. An NBA player can take it easy, not give his/her best, not slam dunk, not run, watch his/her steps more than the ball - to avoid injury, skip risky defense moves - to avoid injury again, or just because he/she is tired or just not feeling it. And no biggie.
But from a lawyer or an engineer that's not really okay, because even if you say I'm not giving your question my full attention and yeah, I think you'll be okay with just a simple rebar frame and no concrete for your bridge, but don't quote me on that and get a professional's advice ... the asker will be more confident, because he/she just did that, asked a professional, even if not in its proper capacity - and when bridges go down people get angry.
Though thinking about it, people usually get very angry at street ball too!
I think that's exactly what they do sometimes though: and disclaim directly that This Is Not Legal Advice and I Am Not Your Lawyer.
At this point they can take it easy and recommend literally anything since the most painful ramifications have been lifted. If you happen to score against an NBA player in pick-up you might be proud but you'd be dishonest to suggest that this means you have professional skill.
The rest of your post is fascinating, and it made me understand this disclaimer much better; but surely this analogy is misleading.
If I've understood you correctly, there is, legally (or perhaps even by definition?), no such thing as informal advice from a lawyer; but surely it is only conventional that you will probably be in a pick-up game with an NBA player, as no regulation or law prohibits it. (Indeed, by analogy with any field whose practitioners tend to be passionate about it, I would assume that it is quite common for NBA players to play pick-up games with one another.)
Or perhaps, as someone ignorant of all things sports, I have missed the point of the analogy.