September 07, 2006

P.D. credo

For the Googler who got here looking for the "public defender oath," perhaps Gideon's Guardians has what you were seeking:

The Public Defender Creed

"I am a public defender. I am the guardian of the presumption of innocence, due process, and fair trial. To me is entrusted the preservation of those sacred principles. I will promulgate them with courtesy and respect but not with obsequiousness and not with fear for I am partisan; I am counsel for the defense. Let none who oppose me forget that with every fiber of my being I will fight for my clients. My clients are the indigent accused. They are the lonely, the friendless. There is no one to speak for them but me. My voice will be raised in their defense. I will resolve all doubt in their favor. This will be my credo; this and the Golden Rule. I will seek acclaim and approval only from my own conscience. And if upon my death there are a few lonely people who have benefited, my efforts will not have been in vain."

- Jim Doherty, Cook County, Illinois Public Defender


Learn it, live it, hang it above your desk, wear it on a t-shirt.

1 Comment:

ipse dixit said...

I cried when I read this. Thank you so much for posting it. This quote pretty much sums up the entire reason I went to law school.

I will be getting my Bar results on Friday, and I hope to one day become the type of Public Defender that lives this creed every day of my career.