Practical Moral Philosophy for Lawyers

The Legal Persona

(1) Close your eyes and imagine yourself as a lawyer. Try to picture the office where you work, the kind of clothes you wear, the kind of activities in which you are engaged. Record these images as they come to mind.

Look again at the images. To what extent do they reflect stereotyped images of lawyers? To what extent do these images say something about the kind of lawyer you do not want to become?

(2) Do you see yourself being educated (trained and socialized) so that you will talk, look, and think like a lawyer?

(3) How does the mask you wear as a student of law and as a lawyer affect your ability to be a good lawyer?

Note

On the legal persona: James R. Elkins, The Legal Persona: An Essay on the Professional Mask, 64 Va. L. Rev. 735 (1978

 

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