Amoral Attorney: Difference between revisions
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|'''F. Lee Bailey'''}}
Lawyers other than the main characters are typically unlikeable, cynical, slimy characters, even more so [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|the corporate ones]]. Lawyers come in various degrees of oiliness, but the worst defense attorneys will actually seem to know their client is guilty and act as though they just love seeing guilty people go free, and the worst prosecutors will ruthlessly hound defendants even when they personally acquire knowledge of their innocence. If the main character is poor, the Amoral Attorney is the Goliath in the [[David Versus
In reality, attorneys are simply acting on behalf of their clients, and are ''supposed'' to be [[You Keep Using That Word|amoral (not immoral!)]] in their advocacy. An attorney is a true [[Punch Clock Villain]] or [[Punch Clock Hero]] depending on who hires them. Defense attorneys, in particular, are often very kind-hearted, civic-minded people who genuinely believe that even the worst members of society deserve a fair shake. Ideally, a strong defense of their client serves as an important check against [[Dirty Cop]]s, [[Hanging Judge]]s, and [[Kangaroo Court]]s. What an attorney may not be is ''unethical''. In trope terms, a good lawyer is (ideally) [[Lawful Neutral]] in practice and (dare we say it) [[Lawful Good]] in intention. In the wonderful world of fiction, however, cheat-to-win is the name of the game. After all, it's not much of a "drama" if the opponent isn't [[Designated Villain|villainous and unlikable]], is it?
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In any case, the lawyers - as a profession - do not have to answer to anyone other than other lawyers. The judge is a lawyer, the Bar Association or other regulators are lawyers and, even if the calls for reform go before the Legislature, typically half of the elected legislators are themselves lawyers. Those with money and counsel might get justice, those with neither fall by the wayside.
Remember, the '''Amoral Attorney''', odious strawman though he may be, is ''competent''. They do not bring silly [[Frivolous Lawsuit
Contrast the [[Simple Country Lawyer]] and [[Crusading Lawyer]]. There are a few lawyers who do what they do out of some sense of principle or justice, but they're too few and far between.
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