"If the bullet comes, I take the hit"

More of the good stuff from Simple Justice, one of the undeniable advantages of going into private practice:

Like Your Clients

Dan Hull at What About Clients? is absolutely right. Lawyers should only represent clients they actually like. Now this isn't always an option, as public defenders and assigned counsel aren't given an option as to whom they represent. But one of the hallmarks of a private practice is the ability to pick your clients. As my legal ethics prof in law school loved to say, "lawyers aren't buses; they don't have to pick up anybody waiting at the stop..."

Mr. Greenfield mentions some of my favorite mental images for what a good criminal defense lawyer does, public or private:

When I stand beside a defendant in court, I act as the shield between that one human being and everything else in the world...