Atticus Finch Character Analysis

To Kill a Mockingbird Extra Credit Assignment Every law student is eventually asked why they decided to attend law school and many answer that they were inspired to enter the legal profession by the actions of Atticus Finch. It is extraordinary to me how many people have been impacted by Atticus Finch and hope to model their own legal careers after his. This is a testament to the lawyering style of Atticus Finch. While there have been many transformations in the practice of law since the era that Atticus Finch was depicted in, many of the attributes that make him such an admired figured resonant in today’s legal profession. One of the attributes about Atticus Finch’s lawyering style that I found most remarkable was the dedication he had

He uses empathy to not only humanize Tom Robinson in front of the hostile community but also uses empathy to try and understand the accusations of Mayella Ewell and her father. The use of empathy in his lawyering style is best showcased in the scene where Atticus Finch is cross-examining Mayella Ewell. While Atticus is able to sympathize with Mayella’s upbringing and her current situation, he uses this to expose the reasoning behind her accusations against Tom and try to convey her reasoning to the jury. He does an excellent job of calling into question the authenticity of her accusations without being harsh. Especially in his closing arguments to the jury, Atticus Finch is able to express how Mayella Ewell simply went against the norms of society and because of the community in which she lives, she had to make the accusations against Tom in an attempt to save herself. He also shows empathy towards Tom. He does a good job of showcasing Tom’s reasoning for being with Mayella Ewell the day she claims he attacked her and is able to humanize Tom to the jury by showing that he was only attempting to help her because he felt bad for her

Lawyers must be able to empathize with the individuals that they are cross-examining in court as well as with their clients to try and better understand their case. I believe that the better a lawyer can understand and sympathize with their client’s situation, the better job the lawyer can do representing the wishes of that client. It is important for lawyers to never lose sight that everyone they interact with has their own story and background that is likely to be very different than their own. Lawyers today can learn from the lawyering style of Atticus Finch and try to remember that you can never truly understand someone’s situation unless you can see their life and story from their