A lot of people think so. A lot of lawyers think so. I don't.
Right after I was admitted to the Virginia Bar, the Fairfax Court had a special shindig to welcome new attorneys. Judge Richard J. Jamborsky, then chief judge of the Circuit, gave the address. He told us that it didn't matter where we went to school, it didn't matter what our class rank was, it didn't matter what firm we worked for, nor how much we were paid. Standing in a courtroom, before the juries and the judges, in the end, the only thing we had of value was our reputation, and once we lost it, it was gone forever. No case was worth that.
If by "twist" law, you mean to find the law that supports your client's position, fine, but where I practice, you better point out if there is controlling legal authority for the other position, or the judges will not forgive you, nor trust you again. |
