{"id":4445,"date":"2006-03-21T16:52:54","date_gmt":"2006-03-21T20:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/03\/21\/is-that-a-trick-question-coun"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:04","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:04","slug":"is-that-a-trick-question-counselor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/03\/21\/is-that-a-trick-question-counselor\/","title":{"rendered":"is that a trick question, counselor?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

M<\/em><\/strong>y Referer Page came through again for me, today, just when <\/font><\/p>\n

I needed to be <\/font>distracted from those darn real-world, evil lawyers. <\/font><\/p>\n

Someone (a “Sucher”) in Germany did eine Google Suche<\/em> with the <\/font><\/p>\n

query \/are all lawyers trustworthy\/. Did the querist expect a yes <\/font><\/p>\n

or no answer? Well, er oder sie<\/em> found neither <\/font>here<\/font><\/a> at f\/k\/a<\/em>,<\/font><\/p>\n

but instead got an excellent quote by <\/font>Sol M. Linowitz<\/font><\/a>, from his book<\/font><\/p>\n

The Betrayed Profession<\/font><\/em><\/a>, on the profession needing to live up to its <\/font><\/p>\n

rhetoric of providing justice for all. <\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"movie <\/em><\/strong><\/font>H<\/em><\/strong>owever, I don’t want to harp on Sol’s sermon. Instead, I want to <\/font><\/p>\n

point you to an article that I found among the other Google results. <\/font><\/p>\n

It’s a year old, but I haven’t seen it mentioned at other weblogs. It is <\/font><\/p>\n

“<\/font>Court TV’s 15 Most Memorable Movie Lawyers<\/font><\/span><\/a>” (Hollywood Heat<\/em>, by <\/font><\/p>\n

Daniel Green, May 12, 2005.) <\/font>It’s a great list, with interesting analysis, <\/font><\/p>\n

plus quotes from a few law<\/font>yers and law professors about their favorite <\/font><\/p>\n

film lawyers. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Although the <\/font>Dignity Police certainly won’t agree, I concur with the<\/font> #1 result: <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"PesciAsVinny\"<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The author notes: <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

“Best of all, he keeps the jury (and the audience) entertained <\/font><\/p>\n

and focused. Last year, the Seventh Circuit Bar Association <\/font><\/p>\n

voted Vinny’s opening trial statement (‘Uh, everything that guy <\/font><\/p>\n

just said is bullshit. Thank you.’) as the best in movie lawyer <\/font><\/p>\n

history. In the end, we’re inclined to agree with screenwriter <\/font><\/p>\n

David Mamet, who once said of My Cousin Vinny<\/em>, ‘I think <\/font><\/p>\n

that s the best movie ever made, don t you?’ “<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[Ed. Note<\/em>: And paralegal Mona Lisa Vito was very<\/font> memorable, too<\/a>! Did you say<\/font> “two yutes”?]<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here are the other results (go check out the discussion), with a few quotes <\/font>that I particularly appreciated: <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"MockingbirdPeck\" to kill a mockingbird<\/strong><\/em><\/font><\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck)<\/strong> in “To Kill A Mockingbird<\/em><\/font><\/a>” (1962)<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n

. . . “Atticus Finch was a genteel Southern lawyer. It was very <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

difficult <\/font>to raise his ire to the level that’s needed today,” argues <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

attorney Mike Papantonio, author o the “In Search of Atticus <\/em><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Finch: A Motivational Book for Lawyers<\/em>.” “I don’t know if Atticus <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Finch is relevant anymore.” Still, of all the lawyers Court TV <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

interviewed for this article, Peck’s portrayal was the performance <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

most often mentioned. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I saw that film as a young kid,” recalls Scott A. Hughes<\/font><\/a>, a <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

personal <\/font><\/font>injury lawyer in Bellevue, Washington, “but it still rever-<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

berates.”<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Was that why you became a lawyer?”<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“No,” Hughes admitted. “I became a lawyer to make money.”<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"PacinoAsKirkland\"<\/font><\/p>\n

3. Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino) <\/strong>in “And Justice For All<\/em>“<\/strong> (1979) <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

. . . “Eighteen years later, Pacino portrayed a very different, much <\/font>
\nless honorable type of lawyer in “The Devil’s Advocate.” In that film, <\/font>
\nhe played Satan, a partner in a successful New York firm.”<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4. Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr (John Houseman)<\/strong> in “<\/strong><\/font><\/font>The Paper Chase<\/strong><\/em><\/font><\/a>“<\/strong> (1973) <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

“He delivers probably the most famous line ever written about law school: <\/font>
\n‘You teach yourselves the law. But I train your mind. You come in here <\/font>
\nwith a skull full of mush and you leave thinking like a lawyer’.”<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"NewmanVerdictG\" the verdict<\/em><\/font><\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

5. Frank Galvin (Paul Newman)<\/strong> in “<\/strong><\/font><\/font>The Verdict<\/strong><\/em><\/font><\/a>“<\/strong> (1982) <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

“The practice of law, the real practice, is 99% paperwork. If they <\/font>
\never made a movie about a lawyer and it was real, it would be 1,000 <\/font>
\nhours long, boring and no one would watch.”<\/font><\/p>\n

– <\/font>Steven Moss<\/font><\/a> <\/font>with <\/font><\/font>Kahn Kleinman<\/font><\/a> in Cleveland.<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

\"TracyMarchInherit\"<\/font> <\/font><\/font> 6 and 7. Tie: Henry Drummond (Spencer Tracy)<\/strong> and Matthew Harrison Brady<\/strong> (Frederic March) <\/strong>in “<\/strong><\/font><\/font>Inherit the Wind<\/strong><\/em><\/font><\/a>“<\/strong> (1960)<\/p>\n

<\/font>
\n8. Hans Rolfe (Maximilian Schell) <\/strong>in “Judgment at Nuremberg<\/em>“<\/strong> (1961)<\/font><\/font>
\n9. Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) <\/strong>in “A Few Good Men<\/em>“<\/strong> (1992)<\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"WitherspoonAsWoods\"<\/font>. 10. Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) <\/strong>in “<\/strong>Legally Blonde<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/font><\/font>“<\/strong> (2001) <\/font><\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

“Susan Hitzig, a Manhattan real-estate attorney, said she connected with <\/font><\/font>
\nWoods ‘because I was considered a dumb blonde too. She showed you <\/font><\/font>
\ncan be a good lawyer and not have to change your whole life around’.”<\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

11. Paul Biegler (James Stewart) <\/strong>in “Anatomy Of A Murder<\/em>“<\/strong> (1959)<\/strong><\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

13. Amanda Bonner (Katharine Hepburn) <\/strong>in “<\/strong><\/font><\/font>Adam’s Rib<\/em><\/strong><\/font><\/a>“<\/strong> (1949) <\/font><\/font> \"Adam'sRibCover\"<\/strong> adam’s rib<\/em><\/font><\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

“Hollywood is rarely kind to its female attorneys. Most are either incom-<\/font><\/font>
\npetent (Demi Moore in “A Few Good Men<\/em>“) or have sex with their client <\/font><\/font>
\n(Glenn Close in “Jagged Edge<\/em>“). Amanda Bonner, though, is smart, tough <\/font><\/font>
\nand successful. . . . Bonner was certainly a nice role model for young <\/font><\/font>
\nwomen interested in becoming lawyers, especially because she emerges <\/font><\/font>
\nfrom the case [as criminal defense counsel vs. her ADA husband] triumphant.<\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

14. Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey) <\/strong>in “Liar Liar<\/em>“<\/strong> (1997)<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font>
\n15. George Simon (John Barrymore ) in <\/em>“Counsellor at Law<\/em>“<\/strong> (1933)<\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\"movie Is your appetite whetted for more films about lawyers<\/font> and <\/font>the law? See<\/font>the <\/font>700 titles<\/font><\/a> (linked to summaries) at the<\/font><\/font><\/font> Law in Popular Culture Collection<\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/font>of the Texas\/Austin Tarlton Law Library.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

wind-beaten marque
\nsaying only
\n“Coming Soon”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

summer day
\na seat in the movies
\naway from others<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

matinee
\nthe summer sun
\nunder the exit door<\/p>\n

\n
\n

<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

…………. by John Stevenson<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/font>
\n\u201cwind-beaten marquee\u201d – Some of the Silence<\/font><\/em><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/em> (1999)
\n\u201cmatinee\u201d – Quiet Enough<\/em><\/font><\/a><\/font><\/em><\/font> (Red Moon Press, 2004)
\n\u201csummer day\u201d – Upstate Dim Sum<\/font><\/em><\/a> (2004\/II<\/font><\/a>)<\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

drive in movie… <\/font><\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

opening our eyes<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

during the love scene<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ed markowski<\/strong><\/font><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n


\n<\/font><\/font> <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

leaving the movies-<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>
\n believing this world<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>
\n is the real one<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>
\n <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n

<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

insomnia-<\/font><\/font><\/font>
\na screensaver glows<\/font><\/font><\/font>
\nthrough a dark window<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n

<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

clouds seen<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

through clouds<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

seen through<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

jim kacian<\/strong><\/font><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

“leaving the movies–” & “insomnia–” – World Haiku Assn<\/font><\/a>.<\/em> <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

“clouds seen” – The Haiku Anthology (3rd Ed.); Six Directions<\/em> (1997)<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

the paper chase<\/font><\/a><\/em> \"PaperChaseG\"<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n

<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Referer Page came through again for me, today, just when I needed to be distracted from those darn real-world, evil lawyers. Someone (a “Sucher”) in Germany did eine Google Suche with the query \/are all lawyers trustworthy\/. Did the querist expect a yes or no answer? Well, er oder sie found neither here at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-19H","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4445"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12724,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4445\/revisions\/12724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

1. Vincent Gambini (Joe Pesci)<\/strong> in “<\/font>My Cousin Vinny<\/strong><\/em><\/font><\/a>” (1992).<\/font><\/p>\n