When Canadian Michael Geist started his "Law Bytes" column some years ago, I didn't think much of it, or him. It was conventional, and usually took the side of industry.

Either he grew, or I did, because lately he has been rocking. He's loosened up, his writing has gotten better, and increasingly he's on the side of the angels. (Special Mooreslore game now. Guess the headline reference. No peeking.)

Here's an example. In one column he goes after attempts by the Canadian government to wiretap Internet conversations, ISPs' cutting off Vonage ports, efforts to extort money from Canadian schools just-in-case some content they view is copyrighted, and the music industry's incredible ability to get content taken-down on just a say-so.

There's a theme here. And the theme is right-on. It is that the Internet is threatened as never before, by cops, by greed, and by fear. If we allow these to dominate the conversation we lose. And we must not let that happen.

There's something else.

It's something I've been thinking about a lot since the VJOLT Symposium in Charlottesville, Virginia.

That is, the legal profession fires people up with idealism, keeps them fired up throughout their careers, but makes it necessary that they fight against their ideals in order to make a living.

There are outposts where you can keep your soul. Academia is an outpost. Journalmism is an outpost. Get a judgeship and you have an outpost. But such outposts are few and far between. Most lawyers have to sell their souls to make a living.

It's the legal contradiction, and it's baked into the profession. Without it lawyers would only be good for barbecue, as the dish.

But it's sad. Here's your soul, here's your protection, but here's the money you need to survive, and your soul is all it costs.

No wonder the music from Law & Order sounds so much like "DUM-dum." (And wouldn't that make a great ringtone? No, not that.)