Today the SMH adds yet another larger-than-life character to the saga of former judge and prominent Sydney QC Marcus Einfeld: Mirka Christos, a prostitute also known as “Maria” who lists among her clients a lawyer currently representing Einfeld, Joseph Michael Ryan.

After a business relationship of six years, Maria had been trying to break things off with Ryan, so naturally enough she went fishing though his garbage. There she has found two items of interest: a winning betting slip and the handwritten drafts of statements provided to the Daily Tele last week as part of camp Einfeld’s efforts to rehabilitate his tarnished image. According to the SMH, the documents revealed that the statement was changed by deleting the driver’s sex and removing the words “I am protecting no one, not even myself”.

“Essentially, Einfeld got caught in the crossfire between Michael Ryan and myself”, Maria crowed to the paper after handing the notes to police.

Einfeld’s troubles started earlier this year when he was snapped by a speed camera and issued with a ticket. He went to court to fight the fine and was let off after claiming a visiting US academic had been behind the wheel. However it later emerged that the academic had been long dead at the time of the offence. Einfeld’s legal woes, meanwhile, have been exacerbated by media attention, including claims he’s listed suspect qualifications on his CV.

All of which has set tongues wagging in legal circles about the sorry state of the NSW Bar. According to one leading barrister, the Sydney bar’s reputation might have been seriously dented by the saga had it possessed one. But in legal circles, Sydney’s long been seen as the racy, coke-snorting, fast ‘n’ loose jurisdiction. Here’s how one barrister characterised the smorgasbord that is the Australian legal system.

NSW Bar – Racy, seamy, flush with money. Has the lion’s share of commercial litigation and plenty of “colourful characters”. But too edgy for those who don’t like their law so fast ‘n’ loose. One barrister recently admitted to slapping an extra $20,000 to bills for cases he wins.

Vic Bar – Lacks the quantity of big-money financial work you get in Sydney but probably has better lawyers and judges. Proper and conservative. Einfeld saga simply couldn’t happen there – which is what all the Melbourne lawyers have been smugly saying to each other since the whole thing began.

Queensland Bar – Does things differently. Prone to political interference, a la Pauline Hanson and Di Fingleton. Quality shoppers should look elsewhere.

South Australia Bar – Open for business but there’s little money around and few customers.

ACT b=Bar – Federal Government work mostly and pretty boring.

Tassie Bar – Tiny.

WA Bar – A bit of money around and some interesting Sydney-style characters.

NT Bar – What self-respecting lawyer wants to live in Darwin?

Corrections and correspondence to boss@crikey.com.au.