Köster Lawyers x Lady Justice  

The history and current developments of jurisprudence in Haarlem.

Why is Lady Justice depicted on the town hall on the Grote Markt? And how was justice administered in Haarlem in the past? We dive into the history and current developments of law in our city. Lawyer and partner at Koster Advocaten, Dirk Lange, talks about the legal world from his expertise.




Great Vierschaar

On the Grote Markt in Haarlem stands the monumental City Hall, a complex of several buildings of which the Grote Vierschaar dates back to 1390. This building originally had a judicial function. On the Grote Markt there used to be four benches in a square, where judges, defendants and lawyers took their seats. Justice was administered here in the presence of the local population. Later, the administration of justice moved to the second floor of the Grote Vierschaar, in front of which a large scaffold was placed. A statue of Lady Justice now stands on the facade of the City Hall, recalling the historical judicial function of this place.

Lady Justita

Originally a Roman goddess, Lady Justice is today the personification of justice. The statue on the Town Hall shows that justice used to be spoken there. 

Lady Justice is depicted as a blindfolded figure with a sword in her right hand and a scale in her left. The blindfold symbolizes impartiality, judging not persons but facts and deeds. The scales represent the weighing of evidence and testimony. The sword represents the pronouncement of judgment.




Tension

Originally a Roman goddess, Lady Justice is today the personification of justice. The statue on the Town Hall shows that justice used to be spoken there. 

Lady Justice is depicted as a blindfolded figure with a sword in her right hand and a scale in her left. The blindfold symbolizes impartiality, judging not persons but facts and deeds. The scales represent the weighing of evidence and testimony. The sword represents the pronouncement of judgment.

From Amsterdam to Haarlem

Dirk studied law in Amsterdam and worked there for a time. He eventually came into contact with Köster Advocaten, where he was drawn to the entrepreneurial spirit within this firm. "Feelingly I was going against the grain by working in Haarlem, but it was an opportunity to help build our wonderful firm. Now we have a nice mix of local clients from Haarlem, the rest of the Netherlands and internationally."

Very different from Amsterdam, Dirk experiences more of a sense of community among entrepreneurs in Haarlem, and that includes the court: "When I walk into the court in Haarlem, people know each other. It's a little less massive and that appeals to me."




Involvement

Köster Lawyers is closely involved in the city. Dirk emphasizes the importance of connecting with local entrepreneurs. "A good example of this is the Haarlem New." This event took place on July 19 in the garden of the Provinciehuis, with various entrepreneurs and stakeholders from the city. Köster Advocaten was the main sponsor of this event. "It was good to contribute to this. I spoke with people from the business community and other stakeholders. This event is important for the city. The connection created here helps us stay involved with the entrepreneur."

Challenge

What Dirk likes best about his profession is developing a strategy that perfectly suits the client and the issue at hand. At the same time, this is also the biggest challenge. "I try to bring clients into a strategy to best serve the interest, which requires a good analysis and then a good explanation. This is sometimes not an easy, but always a nice challenge."

Importantly, Dirk believes it is important to stay in perspective. "Although the tone in courts is sometimes harsher in tone, it is still important to be able to put things in perspective. Humor and a light-hearted approach can help relieve tension and give room for mutual understanding." 




Future Vision

At Köster Lawyers and in the legal community, there will be more emphasis on other skills and personality in the future. This means that personal skills, such as persuasion and defining strategy, will gain importance. Although digital innovations, such as artificial intelligence, can improve production and analysis in parts, the core competencies of the lawyer will become even more important as a result. "These skills are irreplaceable. It is still human work to develop strategy and understand what a client needs."




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