<p>I'm such a liar - more words in my defense:</p>
<p>*school-sponsored kegs & football every Friday
*school-sponsored Hurricane party (when one of the hurricanes came through during the summer) complete with "hurricanes" - vodka & juices
*school-sponsored cocktail parties
*school-sponsored open bars (yes, plural)
*February. Yes, the entire month was a party - or rather, about 20 parties of every imaginable theme.</p>
<p>I swear, we work really hard, too. :)</p>
<p>Mradio - in that case, law school would be a bad choice for you.</p>
<p>After a while, you really see how you are working as a part of a system which is aimed at achieving a just result. Some of that is ensuring that every person is represented and guided through the system. To me, it is important that a person who is going through an agonizing legal process knows that someone is in his corner. To withhold representation is to decide the person's culpabilty or liability before a trial.</p>
<p>You also start to see that, when each side is well-represented by competent counsel (in civil or corporate matters), what you are doing is fine. You know that the other side is capable of taking care of their own needs - as an attorney, it would not be my job to baby-sit the other side's counsel.</p>
<p>IMO, a lawyer who works for his clients is no worse than a banker who makes decisions which are best for her company. For some reason, though, lawyers are heavily criticized for doing such.</p>
<p>Competent counsel and robust defense for everyone-- without exception-- is the only guarantee of equal justice. Any other system is too frightening to even contemplate.</p>
<p>Wish I could have said it that well.</p>
<p>ariesathena,
So are you saying that its impossible to make it through law school or law practice while adhering to one's values?</p>
<p>Um... no. However, it is impossible to make it through law school and practice if it is your habit to not read carefully.</p>
<p>I merely said that law would be a bad choice for you if you, as an attorney, would only work for a side which you believe is in the right.</p>
<p>Go out and be a bartender (if you are old enough). You'll find out, quickly, that in ANY profession, you are required to do things differently than you would do on your own. You might, for liability purposes and restaurant policy, have to stop serving someone whom you think is sober enough (and has a designated driver). The amount of alcohol you put into drinks is not limited by any social policy (such as controlling the amount of liquor that people are given so they can control their drinking), but rather by helping the bar to control its liquor costs.</p>
<p>It is hopelessly idealistic to assume that ANY profession will pay you to exercise your values. For me at least, I see a lot of value in being a part of the system aimed at obtaining justice. PSedrish said it beautifully. </p>
<p>If you want law so that you can be the good guy, find another profession. Even prosecutors will have to do things they would prefer to not do.</p>
<p>If it is enough for you to (sorry for the sentiment here) see beauty in our legal system and want to be a part of it, understanding that we can only have a functional system when each side is well-represented by competent counsel (regardless of how "right" they are), then law will be a fine profession for you. There are people who are so, on principle, opposed to the death penalty that they will happily defend someone whom they know to be guilty. For them, the principal against the death penalty trumps the actions of their client. If the actions of your client (which it sounds like it is for you) is the most important consideration, law would make you miserable.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So are you saying that its impossible to make it through law school or law practice while adhering to one's values?
[/quote]
An attorney's obligation is to comply with ethical standards set by a State bar and to comply with local, State, and Federal law. If your values agree with those principles, then you are fine. If your values differ (such as you think your values represent a higher standard), then your values render you incompetent to practice law. Clients don't pay lawyers to obtain the wisdom of their values -- they pay lawyers to solve problems within the law and legal ethical standards. If a client hires you and suddenly you discover that your client's behavior conflicts with your values, then you become part of the client's problem.</p>
<p>For me, it was a matter of deciding which side of the fence I was more comfortable on. I worked for both the prosecution and defense at different times. It came to a point where I could not personally prosecute pot users and prostitutes. I then asked myself, would I have any such limitations on my defense? The answer was, no. So I became a defense attorney.</p>
<p>Do I like my clients? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Do I identify with what my clients' stand for, NEVER. But, do I take my role seriously and work my rear off, you BET.</p>
<p>again - wish I could have said it that well. Kudos, ConcernedDad.</p>
<p>lol, ariesathena...somebody needs to work on her writing:D</p>
<p>How important is the undergradute institute to the nation's elite law schools?</p>
<p>But bigmain's point is a good one, even if you don't intend to work for a client you disagree with. After all, the better you know how to frame the opposition's arguments, the better you can understand and counter them. As John Locke pointed out, the best way to win an argument is to state the other person's opinion better than he himself can.</p>