How do lawyers live with themselves?

Question

They stand up in court and try to slur and undermine honest, hardworking public officicals who are trying to make this a better country to live in, in order to get their scumbag client off the hook, and then they p*ss off back to their penthouses.

Answer 1

It's disgusting, but part of their job. What is a real shame is that most public defender and district attorney offices have trouble recruiting quality lawyers to offset the often scummy ones that make millions. A lot of jury folk aren't intelligent or inquisitive enough to determine the difference, either.

Answer 2

Because it is their job. Lawyers represent everyone zealously and try to do their best for their clients. It is not the lawyer's job to prejudge the client as guilty or not guilty - that is the job for the judge and jury.

Would you rather live in a world where lawyers made the decision of who was guilty and who was innocent, and then refused to represent the "scumbags" (who would, without legal representation, of course be convicted and go straight to jail)? In such a world, the fact that a lawyer agreed to take the case would effectively prejudge the outcome: the jury would see the lawyer and think "oh this guy must be innocent because there's a lawyer representing him" and vice versa.

So as much as you seem to dislike lawyers trying to get "their scumbag clients off the hook", the alternative would be a world where the lawyers would de facto decide guilt and innocence. Which would seem to be much worse to me.

Or there could be a world with no lawyers. Then what would you do if you were wrongfully accused of a crime? With the entire power of the State bearing down against you and no one to stand up for you? Sure lawyers may end up getting 10 or even 100 guilty people off on a technicality for every 1 innocent person they keep out of prison, but isn't the 1 worth the 100? (Compare with the ten righteous men in Sodom in Genesis 18).

Answer 3

I wonder this. How some lawyer can represent a huge rich corporation like a mortgage company, trying to evict a poor family with 2 kids for missing payments? Do they have any conscience?

How can they defend paedophiles, rapists, terrorists, serial killers, child abusers and the like? Even when there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that this person has committed an awful crime and they have to stand there and watch the family of the victim crying and suffering, they'll stand there trying to get the scumbag off in the hope of getting a big paycheque out of it. Its sick.

I can only hope that karma will come back and bite them in the a*se one day.

Answer 4

Not all. Not most. But yes, some do.

And those of who who actually care about the ethical codes that our profession requires are just as disgusted by the behavior as you are.

I know about 8-10 lawyers very well. Have seen them in action, know how they think. Of those 6 are very ethical. And of the remainder, one is a client and one is opposing counsel on a case.

So, please don't generalize just because the unethical ones are more well known.

{EDIT to ardlesstraveled} Well said.

But don't forget that when many lawyers go home at the end of the day, they also feel that pain for their clients. They just have to put it aside to do their jobs. I've lost count of the number of times I've used my counseling skills and helped lawyers deal with the hardships their clients went through, so it didn't eat them up inside. There are a lot of good caring people out there who are also attorneys.

Answer 5

Oh for crying out loud. They are doing their jobs. By way of the English Legal System, every one is entitled to a fair trial, however much of a scumbag they might be and, unfortunately, this means access to professional defence.
It is hard work doing a law degree and there is a high level of competition for jobs after graduating, not to mention the training and exams to make it to the Bar. So quite rightly, they get paid well for this.
Don't forget, 'lawyers' also help you buy a house, make a will etc. Not all of them stand up in court and defend or prosecute.

Answer 6

Hopefully one day a lawyer who has spent his career getting evil scumbags off the hook , may one day return to his glorious penthouse and find that a serial killer, maybe one of his former clients , has paid his family a visit . How these guys sleep at night , i don't know . Their greed under-minds us all and they seem to have as much guilt as the evil people they defend . What the hell is going on in this world , because i sure don't know. The legal establishment is a total farce and everybody knows it.

Answer 7

This is one way to look at it. The justice system relys on a defence attorney and a prosecutor to do the best job they can for thier client. Otherwise the system will not work as it should. If you take a bigger view this is as it should be. No better system has been found even if the present one has many flaws. This is the price of justice.

Answer 8

They are an Evil that is needed but I have heard many new lawyers say that they came out of law school with a much more cynical view of the world than when they went in.

So I guess they are made that way.

Answer 9

What a pity you had a day off when God was handing out brains and intellect. Had you been thee you would have known that lawyers have only one duty..defense...to present their client in the best possible light and to create an element of reasonable doubt..prosecution..to disproove that the person accused is not innocent ......not all people accused of crimes are scumbags thats why some people accused of crimes are found not guilty by a jury of their peers. For you to discredit the legal system and the jury services is disgraceful.Also by your last sentance you are showing yourself in your true colours..a bitter, illiterate, jelous person.

Answer 10

Yep, it's that black and white. I've spent a week shadowing lawyers in courts, and can tell you that it is extremely difficult for them to try and represent rapists, murderers etc, when they know that their client is guilty. Someone has to deal with justice and the law- don't blame them for doing their job.