How important is honesty-can lawyers ever be honest?
By tuhpaul
@tuhpaul (475)
India
June 14, 2007 2:09pm CST
Lincoln once wrote,"If,in your judgement,you cannot be an honest lawyer,resolve to be honest without being a lawyer."How relevant is this statement?
1 response
@ocalhoun (199)
• United States
14 Jun 07
Honesty is extremely important; if you can't get people to believe what you say, you'll be helpless in many situations.
As for lawyers, their job is often to make things seem a way different than what they are. (This is at least 50% of the time) Doing so is a kind of lie, and sometimes is an outright lie. It may be possible, however, for them to leave the dishonesty at work, and be honest in all other respects, just like a policeman who doesn't worry about enforcing the law when he's off duty.
@arrgophil (96)
• United States
15 Jun 07
Why does everyone just assume lawyers are dishonest. As a lawyer for more than 25 years, I reject the notion that we have to "kind of lie" to do our jobs. That's just not true. I know that I will never be able to convince everyone or anyone that this is true. We don't routinely lie or lie 50% of the time.
