Who Commands More Public Trust: Doctors, Lawyers, or Accountants?
When it comes to careers that hold a lot of public trust, some hold more than others
TW: brief mention of suicide, abortion, domestic abuse, and drug use
Before I went to law school, I worked at an accounting firm for two years. I handled marketing: redesigned the website, put together marketing materials, coordinated events, etc. It was fine, kind of dull, but I worked with a lot of nice people.
One day, in a meeting, an executive at the firm said something to the effect that accountants hold more public trust than doctors and lawyers. The reason given was that they see a lot of financial information. I always thought that was a terrible take - sorry to the individual who said it.
But it simply isn’t true.
As a lawyer, I would give the distinction to doctors for the following reasons.
Exclusivity of Information
That executive based their assessment on access to financial information, but financial information just isn’t that sacred. A lot more people and professions access our financial information than our health information. Think about it: bankers, tellers, mortgage lenders, car salespeople, your H&R free tax software, anyone we’ve submitted a rental application and credit check to, etc.
Don’t get me wrong, financial information is highly sensitive. After all, many companies hire armoured trucks to pick up financial documents for shredding when they’re no longer needed. But still, there is a wider group of people we expose our financial information to than we do with health. Most people’s medical information is limited to a health care provider and pharmacist. Maybe an insurance agent if you’re getting life insurance. A smaller pool of access signifies, in my opinion.
Legislation
Medical information has its own legislation, here in Ontario anyway; Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004. There isn’t really an equivalency for lawyers and accountants. We fall under more general privacy and/or practice-specific laws, guides, and regulations. There is no Legal Information Protection Act. Furthermore, I attended a three-hour privacy law seminar last month that included a section dedicated solely to medical information. If something is important enough to be repeatedly carved out, well, it’s probably important.
Privacy in Practice
Most of our financial documents are sent by mail, which, technically, most people can open. A paper envelope is not all that secure, but in it go our tax documents, credit card statements, mortgage information, etc. The most I have ever gotten in terms of medical information is a health card or a letter asking me to please call my healthcare provider.
Also, I would argue that financial information is routinely made more available. In the US, you can look up what people paid in taxes. In the state of Illinois, anyway (if the guy I last dated is to be believed). Also, as someone who took Corporate Finance and Securities Law, I assure you that the importance of complete financial disclosure from public companies was pounded into us unrelentingly. And those records are made available to the public.
Oh, and the Sunshine List: if you earn more than $100,000 in Ontario as a public employee, your salary is listed for all to see.
The Contents of Information
Not everyone is in a financially embarrassing position. Not to say everyone, regardless of finances, wouldn’t be upset if their information were leaked. But if your savings account is stacked and/or you’re a high-income earner, you’re not as devastated to have that info out there. But we all have something in our medical records we do not want out there. A suspicious mole on your butt, recorded suicidal tendencies, past drug use, any STDs you may have had, abortions, domestic abuse, etc. I would argue that, for most people, a health information leak would be extremely embarrassing or maybe even legitimately devastating if exposed.
Some lawyers have access to some people’s medical information, but it is not widespread in the profession. They definitely have access to a wider variety of sensitive information than accountants, who are strictly limited to financial information. As a lawyer, the sky is the limit. Depending on what the heck happened, you can theoretically request to look into anything: not just health records and finances but also computer records, a personal journal, text messages, etc.
Sidenote: if you are a nosy individual, I cannot recommend law enough. It is a career that rewards curiosity and investigation, A.K.A. being nosey.
If we were to treat family law as a distinct entry in this contest, then they/we would win the whole thing. Easily.
The unique thing about family law is that it exposes you very intimately to the lives and secrets of ordinary people. And y’all: ordinary people are living lives crazier than you can imagine. And they are all around us. Your barista, your boss, your friends and family - they are all doing stuff out of sight that would make your jaw drop.
I have seen disclosures for criminal records, police reports, medical reports, mental health assessments, financial records, text messages, statements from family and friends, like damn near everything. Family law exposes the worst and craziest things you’ve ever heard of, and it pales in comparison to whatever medical issue you can think of. Nudes, sexual abuse allegations, claims you like cross-dressing, niche porn you like, videos of you doing coke; it all comes out in family law.
If this were a race, family lawyers would win this the same way Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont Stakes.
