A public defender does not choose his clients; they are assigned
to him. The client, who cannot afford to choose his own, is in the same
position. That’s why I thought my first job was to convince the client that
whoever had made the choice for each of us wasn’t nuts.
Usually this worked out. I made sure I looked the part:
well-tailored, Mont Blanc pen, leather briefcase, engraved business cards. I
never introduced myself by my bureaucratic title: “Deputy Public Defender,
Grade IV.” Rather, I was an attorney there to represent him or her in the
matter before the court.
Usually, it got me off to a decent start. Sometimes, the
resistance was stiffer. One client fingered the card, examined my name, and
asked, “You a Jew?”
Anti-Semitism is not the only objection that a person in
this position might have. A bit less common than: “You work with the DA?” or “The
system pays you, don’t they?” or “Why can’t I have a real lawyer?”
The idea in this first encounter is to build confidence.
Truth is therefore recommended.
So, I said, “Yes, I am.” My demeanor was intentionally affirmative, neither confrontational nor apologetic.
So, I said, “Yes, I am.” My demeanor was intentionally affirmative, neither confrontational nor apologetic.
The client nodded his head and relaxed. “Good. Jews are
smart.”
This client’s logic was fairly straightforward and rather
unimpeachable.
I was a lawyer. I was a Jew. Jews are smart. Hence, I was a smart lawyer.
That is the sort of stereotypical nonsense I could work with.
