Commentary: Avoiding stereotypes about Generation Y.

• Author: Ziemer, David

Byline: David Ziemer

Just in case you've been reading this paper for the last fifteen years and haven't noticed yet, I'm a total civil procedure dork.

As such, I'm invited, from time to time, to talk about civ pro at CLE programs. A couple weeks ago, having a couple hours to kill after a presentation before the next train left Chicago for Milwaukee, I decided to listen to the speaker who followed me on the program while he talked about how jurors from Generation Y (defined by Wikipedia as those born between 1980 and 1995) differ from older ones.

He was a sharp and informative fellow. By his own admission, doesn't know a thing about law, but he makes his living as a jury consultant. His talk was about the chasm between the stereotypes and the realities of young people, and how to best get your message across to them as a trial attorney.

I must confess my own personal bias -- my opinion of Generation Y is rather high compared to most cats my age. I think that they have very good values and that the things they want from life are good things. When I talk to young people, and recall what disgusting animals we were when we were young, I am impressed by them.

Admittedly, many have shortcomings in their work ethic. But consider the circumstances. When I was a kid, I had paper routes and caddied. I've been a busboy, a groundskeeper and a landscaper.

Today, newspapers are delivered by underemployed adults with cars; golfers take carts instead of walking; and immigrants, rather than college students, maintain the country club's golf course and the shopping mall's green areas.

When I was young, the minimum wage was peanuts; but you worked hard and you got raises quickly. Today, the minimum wage is a bar to employment, especially for teenagers.

And so the old people blame the young people for having no work ethic and ignore the obvious -- they are the ones who created a society in which there is very little opportunity for young people to develop that work ethic.

Anyway, the other night, I watched some television commercials...