The number of Americans with a criminal history has risen sharply over the past three decades.  Today, nearly one-third of the adult working age population has a criminal record.  In fact, so many Americans have a criminal record that counting them all is nearly impossible.

Have you ever made an unreasonable gesture to a passing horse in a national park?  If so, you are already a federal criminal.  For the rest of us, there’s a new work of reference, humor, and legal theory from attorney Mike Chase titled How to Become a Federal Criminal: An Illustrated Handbook for the Aspiring Offender.

Recent polls confirm that public confidence in legal institutions and lawyers is at historic lows. Gallup’s June 2016 poll indicates that only 36 percent of Americans have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the Supreme Court; and only 23 percent feel that way about the criminal justice system. How do lawyers fare? Only 15 percent of the public has a high degree of confidence in them. The question is where do we go from here and how can public faith in lawyers and the legal system be restored? The simple answer is that it is not going to be a quick or easy fix, but we offer ten thought-provoking solutions below.