Deffense Attorneys

In the criminal justice system, lawyers are divided into two separate but equally important groups: the defense attorneys who ensure their clients’ rights are protected and the prosecutors who ensure criminals answer to their alleged crimes. This is their story. The nature of America’s courts demands that prosecutors and defense attorneys act in opposition to one another, with each party seeking opposing verdicts. Despite this dichotomous nature, great lawyers often rise above simply pursuing a winning record, as seen in Community. In the episode “Basic Lupine Urology,” viewers can learn that both prosecutors and defense attorneys participating in the legal system must pursue the truth more than victory, despite operating in a system that does not value this perspective.

In this homage to Law and Order, the Study Group must investigate the “murder” of their biology project. When the alleged perpetrator—a former study group member named Todd—is found, Jeff and Annie, two members of the study group, act as prosecutors primarily concerned with salvaging their grade. During the process of the trial, however, Jeff’s focus begins to shift towards uncovering the greater conspiracy at hand while Annie is only interested in getting an A. the dichotomy between the two approaches of the prosecutors, along with the behavior of Colonel Archwood, Todd’s defense attorney, serve as the primary framework for the analysis in this essay.

Although there are instances where attorneys cannot handle the truth, there is much to be gained for those who can successfully bear it. In today’s society many lawyers are solely concerned with getting the verdict they were looking for, whether it’s putting a criminal behind bars or getting a passing grade on a b...

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...tory and instead focus on the truth, while also making sure they are fully representing their clients (in the case of defense attorneys) or making sure a defendant is innocent before easing up in their examination (in the case of prosecutors) lawyers bypass mediocrity and insure justice for all.

Works Cited

Awad, Akram. "The Judge Panel." Taper Hall, Los Angeles. 26 Sept. 2013. Lecture.

Radford, Simon. 10 3 13 Simon's Notes. N.p.: n.p., 3 Oct. 2013. DOCX.

Schrab, Rob, dir. "Basic Lupine Urology." Community. NBC. 26 Apr. 2012. Television.

Robert A. Kagan, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management , Vol. 10, No. 3 (Summer, 1991), pp. 369-406

Robert A. Kagan, Law & Social Inquiry , Vol. 19, No. 1 (Winter, 1994), pp. 1-62

Hengstler, Gary A., and R. W. Ide. "Vox Populi--the Public Perception of Lawyers: ABA Poll." ABA Journal 09 1993: 60.ProQuest. Web. 11 Nov. 2013 .