Massive Oil Spill? Send In The Lawyers??

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that he is dispatching a team of lawyers from multiple divisions within the Justice Department to New Orleans to meet with the U.S. Attorney and response teams and to monitor the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Not to be outdone, a law firm in Alabama, Beasley Allen has already filed a class action lawsuit against British Petroleum ("BP") and other companies with ties to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

And of course both the Attorney General and the plaintiffs' law firm immediately issued press releases announcing their heroic efforts.

This, sadly, is the state of America today. We are facing the worst oil spill since the Exxon Valdiz, and probably much worse in terms of environmental harm. Where we once would shout out "Send in the Marines!" or "Send in the Engineers!", today our call to arms is "Send in the Lawyers!" (The investment bankers will not be far behind, as soon as they can figure out how to profit from all sides of whatever transactions they can put together.)

Exactly what will all these lawyers be doing to address the environmental catastrophe on the Louisiana coast?

The Beasley Allen firm says that it seeks to represent individuals and businesses that have incurred damages related to the disaster, including; real property damages; personal property damages; loss of profits and earning capacity; loss of commercial and subsistence use of natural resources; increased costs of public services; and, loss of revenues.

As for the Attorney General of the United States, he promises that the "Justice Department stands ready to make available every resource at our disposal to vigorously enforce the laws that protect the people who work and reside near the Gulf, the wildlife, the environment and the American taxpayers."

Perhaps we should not make light of these noble efforts to ensure that justice is pursued swiftly (and profitably). But press releases? Why? Are they afraid that the people who are actually containing the spill and rescuing wildlife will get all the media attention?