I keep hearing that Westboro is really a group of lawyers out to make money by suing

[busterbrown]

those who interfere with their antics. Are there any specifics on this info?
I realize that they are probably using the church members as fronts, but are
there lawyers behind the scenes...Thanks!

[Rex]

1. Where did you hear this from?

.

[MrSlayer]

2. Yes. They're a family of lawyers.

Civil Rights lawyers at that and they claim to be Democrats.

Seriously.

Phelp's goofy daughter would sometimes appear on Howard Stern back in the day.

[pipoman]

3. I worked for them on a couple of their criminal defense cases

in my previous career...yes they are lawyers and yes they will sue.

[octoberlib]

4. Yes. Excerpt from the Anti Defamation League's site

Several WBC activists are attorneys and they are
adept at knowing where to draw the line between
protected hate speech and criminal action. The WBC
pushes the envelope and may bait groups to take
action against them which, in turn, could result in
the group bringing lawsuits against towns that they
believe did not offer them adequate protection.

http://www.adl.org/media/pdf/Responding-to-the-Westboro-Baptist-Church.pdf

[Lucinda]

5. The family are the church members. And yes, they do sue.

One of the sons who left the family says that the father uses scripture to support his abuse of the family.

[white_wolf]

6. I really hope they cross the line one day and the ABA disbars all of them. nt

[ashling]

7. It is not up to the ABA

but I get your point

[white_wolf]

8. Who would disbar them then? The state bar?

Or does a court have to do it?

[ashling]

9. The state bar

Could - and definitely would - be challenged in court.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. They would have to be disbarred by their state licensing board.

The ABA is a professional association; it doesn't have the power to disbar somebody. But yes, this bunch of shysters does deserve to be disbarred, at least.