Meet Dr. Leon the Lawyer Cat. Okay, that is literally the best sentence I’ve written in the 4+ years I’ve worked at Above the Law. Seriously, this is a story of pure goodness that is a perfect antidote to the oozing awful of the news right now.
It all started when a small stray cat took shelter from a storm inside the Order of Attorneys of Brazil building (a Brazilian bar association roughly equivalent to the American Bar Association). Despite the kitty’s undeniable cuteness, there were some complaints about a stray cat hanging around the building. But rather than evict the little guy, the board of the OAB hired him as an attorney. His official duties include welcoming guests to the building and they even made him the most adorable name badge.
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Because it’s 2019, of course the cattorney has an Instagram account. Just check out Dr. Leon’s slick duds for his legal job, and die from cuteness overload:
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And Dr. Leon’s human representatives said that being a lawyer is just the start of Dr. Leon’s ambitions:
It’s possible that Dr. Leon will have his own office in the future: “We are finalizing the documents to launch an animal rights institute. It’s called Instituto Dr. Leon. Unfortunately, we cannot house all [the animals], so we will fund the NGOs in town. We will be an example for Brazil [to follow].”
“Today, he is very dear to everyone. Even those didn’t like him got used to his presence and have fun with him. His favorite place is President Auriney’s sofa; he loves to play with his toys,” the lawyer cat’s representatives explained, also adding that the employee is fed regular cat food.
“Two months ago Leon was neutered and is already fully recovered. But veterinarians say he had a problem with his vocal cords as a result of suffering as a baby. He hardly meows, but we keep taking care of him. This motivated us to create the institute to help abused and abandoned animals.”
If Disney doesn’t make this into a movie there is something wrong with the world.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).