Color of Law Essay

As a Legal Management Student who will soon be proceeding to Law, I have learn and realized so many things about being a lawyer when I finished reading the Color of Law by Mark Gimenez. When I was still a little child my dream was to become best lawyer so I can help those unfortunate people. I always thought being a lawyer is about helping, defending, and giving justice to my fellow Filipinos. I also thought that when I become a lawyer I can have lots of money to provide my needs and as to my family. I also thought that those lawyers were the best because they gamble their lives every day just to defend the citizens of its country. Then I have realized that it is just all in my imagination because in the real world lawyers do not usually do everything right, sometimes it is all lies in my eyes. â€Å"Scotty, the color of law isn’t black-and-white, it’s green! The rule of law is money—money rules! Money makes the law and the law protects the money! And lawyers protect the people with money!† –Dan Ford With this line it made me realize that for some lawyers they do not put their hearts in protecting the law but their ambition and love for money. It also made me realize that the codes and rules made in black-and-white does not already governs the law and the people but it is the money that makes the world go round. I have also realized that some lawyer’s cheat under the law, they do not even care about giving justice to the unfortunate or to the innocent but they make the wrong right in the eyes of others. Lastly, I have realized that when money is involved justice is not followed by its right purpose. But what I have learned from this statement is that when I become a lawyer in the future I should fight for the right thing and not blind myself with the wrong one for money. I have also learned that we are the future generations and we should not be poisoned by what is happening now but rather should make a change for the better of the society. In the story I have seen that Scott and his other colleague’s works in a best and the most famous Law Firm. I have just realized that they are working in a best and the most famous Law Firm is because they have worked hard in attaining their college degree. I have also realized that they are highly paid by the firm because they belong to the top students of the best university in Dallas. So I have learn that if I want to be employed by the most famous law firm in the Philippines, I have to work hard to be one of the best students in my future law school. I have also learned that for me to be highly paid by my employer in the future I must be one of the bar top-notcher. Though I do not promise to be this in the future but it made me realized that trying can always be the best solution. Third, I have seen in the story that when Scott was appointed to be the lawyer of Shawanda who is a prostitute and a drug addict that he did not truly believe that she is innocent. I have realized that most of the best lawyers are not usually the best when it comes to their jobs as a lawyer because a lawyer must not judge their clients but must always put their clients to be innocent. I have learn that when a lawyer what to prove her client innocent, he must first have faith and belief of her client’s innocence from the crime. It is important because when you as her lawyer do not believe that she is innocent then she might lose her confidence and instead force to tell a lie and may commit a greater mistake. Fourth, I have also seen in the story that when Scott was about to lose everything, he did not care or think about his family or what could happen to his family. Although Scott was just being kind, he just cared for his client and even doing the right thing but for me family is the most important thing in the world. I would not want to give up everything just for my clients but instead I would fight all these circumstances just to defend my family from all of these. I have realized with this that there is no purpose of winning a case if you do not have a real and complete family to celebrate with. I have learned from this that when I become a lawyer in the future I would do everything to defend my client and do the right thing but in a right way. Fifth, I have realized from the story that they portrait or described lawyers as cheaters, dishonest, and immoral. I think that this is not a good example to those young aspiring lawyers to be. I have learned that as of today being a student aspiring to be a lawyer in the future, I would do my best to practice law in a lawful and in a moral way. I would also start to respect the law by putting God first so I would be guided on what is best way to solve without being a distraction to the society. I think that if lawyers do the right thing with good and moral intention then we could have a peaceful society and justice would be given fairly. I have learned that being a lawyer with good moral character is what a lawyer should be proud of and not the multiple numbers of cases he had won because at the end of the day people do not usually care about you but you instead could make yourself proud of what you did. I have seen that Scott did not totally believe in God’s grace on how he would handle with his life. I believe that God is the center of everything so we must put him first in everything that we do. I believe that with every profession when you just trust God, he would help you be the most successful person. I have seen from Scott’s situation that he did not trust God or pray for Shawanda’s life to be reformed but instead he judged her until the end. I have learned from it and I promised myself that when I become a lawyer I would definitely put and trust God first in every case that I would encounter. With this inspiration I would be able to abide and follow the law in a right way. â€Å"VOIR DIRE † is a legal phrase meaning â€Å"to speak the truth.† I really think that these words are the most important thing to be remembered in practicing the law. I have learned from the book that being a lawyer you must first put in mind or practice to speak the truth because as a lawyer you stand to be the leader of the law. I also think that if you speak the truth then the truth would prevail. Also speaking for the truth is a way of respecting the rules of the law and yourself. I also think that if you have this within you then you will also be spoken by the truth by others. I learned that in a court trial people do not usually want to hear the truth and just cared about winning the case but when one speaks of the truth then we would have a peace of mind, heart and a clean conscience. I believe that professors should not only teach about the subject matter but must educate their students to be a lawyer who has dignity to stand for the truth. I also believe that a parent should teach and practice their children to tell the truth because they might turn out to be lawyers in the far future. I am thankful that we were tasked to read this book because it made me realized so much about how lawyers act and deal with different cases that they had encountered. I have now learned how they worked, how they find and gather those evidences about the complainant without complicating things. I have also learned how a case works on a real court, how suspects and the witness is asked about the case. I now know how the lawyers asked each witness facts out of the blue and find out the real suspect. And because of this book I have now learn so much on how to be a better lawyer and not follow the footsteps of those lawyers who are deceitful and dishonest. Now I know how to deal with suspects that are involved in criminal cases by respecting and not judging them with what other people think of them. I have realized that I should be different to make a mark and be known to people and my clients in the future by my good moral character. I have also learned that when I become a lawyer, I would not do something deceitful, fraudulent or immoral just to win a case and make a lot of money but I would do the right thing even though I won’t be remembered from it. After reading the book I have fully made up my mind that I would be taking up law school. I promised myself to study well and make my parents proud of me. I think the book stand as an inspiration to me to become a best and better lawyer than those describe by the book. I want to be different from them because I see their life unhappy and not contented with what they have. I hate how the lawyers wanted to be the best and even more, I think it is childish because when you’re a lawyer you should be proud of what you’re capable of and make the most out of it or you should learn from every mistake you take and be better. But despite the wrong this Scott Fenney had done in the past, I still idolized him and wanted to be liked him in the future because it taught me that his intelligence got him to his dreams. Also I idolized him because he fought for the right and defended her client even if she is known to be a prostitute and a drug addict. I idolized him for turning his mistakes and made it right by leaving his past life from being one of the rich citizens of Dallas. I also idolized him for being a responsible son to his mother because although his mother was dead, he did his best to rich his mother’s dream for him to have and reach everything they had in mind together. And lastly, I want to be liked him because although he was not a very good husband to his wife because he did not stop his wife from leaving him still he was a good and the best father to his daughter Boo. He did a great job taking care of his daughter and making her part of his career by sharing how his job works. He also inspired me because he help and let Pajamae stay at their home despite the fact that she is black and a daughter of a prostitute and a drug addict. â€Å"Brilliant lawyers without rich clients are worthless to large law firms† I think this is true because being in a large law firm you have to maintain the amount of money you contribute. Also in a law firm you have partners who trust you by bringing their firms name but of course you have to pay back. This is why you owe the firm for giving you clients because clients does not directly go and see a personal lawyer but they trust a big law firm where they can be sure not to be disappointed. Also lawyers that are less brilliant and less intelligence with rich clients are still worthless or useless because all though you will still be paid large still clients would not be satisfied by the result and does want to go back. I think that being a good lawyer is better than being a rich lawyer but you suffer with your criminal or fraudulent actions. When I become a lawyer I would first make sure and review my actions before I mixed my career with money. I believe that my reputation and my character is the best thing that I can be proud even without money. I may be poor by this belief or thinking but being a lawyer can be a great value as money is. I also believe that this will find me happiness and peace but money will only buy happiness temporarily. Being a lawyer with a good heart will be permanent to my being. I know that if I would just do what a lawyer should really do I would be blessed by my clients that can see my efforts and pay me good money. With this I know that I have worked hard for that money and not earn a lot of money for something I did not do. I want be paid by my hard worked and efforts that I had invest than being paid and never returned the worth. I have also realized that maybe someday I would enter politics and maybe become one of the senators in the Philippines but that I can sure that when such time comes I would definitely return the favor for putting me in a great position. I would stay in the position as a fair senator who will do everything for the better of the society. I would not be like Senator McCall in the story that buys everything with money and expect to cover up all the bad information’s about him. In real life when we commit mistakes we should not cover it up but instead we ask for forgiveness to those who we had hurt and learn from it. People will understand and eventually forgive you in time because we all know that nobody’s perfect and we all make mistakes. I think the book is good because it made lawyers see what a true lawyer is from lawyers who are just pretending to be the best but they really are foolish. I also like how the book portrayed and describe every detail how the characters are because we learn from their characters. Just like Rebecca who is ambitious and was just after the money that Scott can offer. She does not even make Scott feel loved because she does not allow him to touch her. I did not also liked her character because she did not appreciate how Scott worked hard just to give her what she dreamed of, from a mansion, car, dresses and a great husband who loved her so much. And lastly, her character of leaving his child and husband for a golf boy who does not have anything to offer her and she is not even sure that he really love her or just for money. She was not a good example to her daughter for how she acted in times of worst which might happen and followed by her daughter. She should have said sorry to her daughter for leaving them not saying goodbye because she is better without her, a child would not understand that. Summary Scott Fenney, a successful lawyer who knows how to bend the rules, mastering the creative skills of being a lawyer and a lawyer who makes lots of money from it. He graduated as a top student from SWU. He has a wife Rebecca and a daughter named Boo. They lived happily and peacefully at a mansion at Highland Park and he drives a Ferrari. He works at the Ford Stevens Law firm and earns half and more than a million in a year. The Ford Stevens Law firm is known to be the best law firm in the state. He is a corporate lawyer who represents corporations and never represented an individual person convicted of crime. A case was broadcast to the public news about the murder of Clark McCall who is the son of the Senator Mack McCall in Dallas, Mexico. Clark McCall was found dead in his bedroom shot above his left eye and the murder was suspected to be the prostitute Shawanda Jones who has been with him on the day he died. The case does not involve Scott and his life was perfect until Judge Buford appointed to be the lawyer of Shawanda Jones to defend her from the crime of murder. He visited Shawanda from the jail and he witness that she is a heroin addict. He asked Shawanda about the crime and what happened. Shawanda told her story to Scott that she was picked up by Clark at Harry Hines Boulevard and was promised to be paid a thousand dollars to spend a night with him. They then arrived at Clark’s placed and to his bedroom but then Clark started to slap her that she in return punched him in the eye and kicked him in the balls, that he fell to the floor and she took her thousand dollars and his car keys and drove herself back to Harry Hines and left the car there. Scott asked her why was her weapon used in the crime scene, she then explained that it might have slipped from her purse when she was in a rush from getting away. Scott then asked her why she does she carry a gun in her purse, she then answered that she lives in the project where your life may be in danger anytime. Scott did not believe at that time, he believes that when your gun is the murder weapon of the crime scene then you must have done it. Dan Ford owner of the Ford Stevens Law firm is the personal lawyer of Senator McCall and was told that he should convinced his lawyer to declined or put down the case. Dan then told Scott that it would not be good for the Law Firm’s image to engage in a case of murder because they represent known associates of a corporation. He warned Scott that it would destroy his career to represent a prostitute. Scott also did not want the job appointed to him and wanted to assign another lawyer Bobby as a substitution. Bobby is a criminal defense lawyer but is not a very successful lawyer, he even envy and is jealous of Scott’s successful career because he does earn much as his friend do. He accepted the job offered to him by Scott but when they represented to court and told the judge about the substitution, Shawanda had a choice to choose which lawyer she wants to represent her and she still chose Scott. So Scott had no choice and pursued with the case despite the allegations and warnings about his career. Shawanda is a black woman who has a daughter named Pajamae who was left at their house at the projects. Scott was asked a favour from her to check on Pajamae and to bring her in jail to see her mother. The projects is a wild place in Dallas where black people lives and where troubles usually happen. He took Pajamae to her mother in jail and he was afraid to go back, so he decided to let Pajamae stay with his family in Highland Park where he has a daughter same as her age. His wife Rebecca did not like the idea about it but his daughter Boo did want to have a sister and she got along well with Pajamae. During the months before the trial, they gathered every facts and evidence to defend or prove Shawanda innocent. They investigate Clark’s background and found out that he has a history of alcohol and drug abuse, also some allegations of rape. I was brought to court about the issue then Senator McCall got angry of what Scott turned out to be. So the next following days Scott began to lose his car which was going to be taken away by the bank he owned a loan to. Then he needs to pay his bills but he was running out of cash. He was okay with losing everything because he knows he has clients who pay him half and more millions in a year but when he went to see his client Tom Dibrell, he was shocked that Tom is firing him. He blamed everything to Senator McCall but when he went to see and ask his boss Dan Ford to tell the bank to give him more time to pay his loan but Dan refused and Scott was confused but he then eventually connect the dots that Dan was the one behind all that is happening to him. Dan asked him again to put down the case but Scott refused then he was fired from the firm which was his only resort with his life problems. After losing everything he owned, his wife Rebecca left him because she cannot longer take the humiliation and what people would think. After everything that had happen he thought to himself to do his very best to prove to the public that he is a good lawyer and he can prove that despite Shawanda’s background she is innocent. They gathered name of some girls that Clark may had rape or sexual harassment but only one of the girl responded and wanted to be a witness. Hannah Steele did not file charges and damages when the time she was raped because she was scared and blackmailed by McCall so he kept quiet for a long time. They kept her named until the final trial because she is the only solution to prove that Clark was a rapist and a racist. The month of august was about to arrive but they are still not yet ready for the trial because they got only one witness and no other evidence about Shawanda’s innocent and to prove that Clark is a rapist and a racist. They had a last resort who is Carl an assistant of Bobby where he is investigating Clark’s background to gather other witness. So Scott and Bobby had only one blast who is Hannah Steele who apparently refused to speak on the day of the trial. Then Scott did not know what to do, what to ask the witness of the other side of the case just to defend Shawanda. Then right after he was losing hope on winning the case, Carl arrived at the court and presented an envelope to Scott which has the flights from Washington to Dallas on the day Clark was murdered. The trial go on, Scott asked and listened to witnesses who are police and Fbi who were present on that day. He then realized after listening and seeing all the pictures of Clark’s murdered body that Shawanda was left-handed and that Clark was shot on the upper part of his right eye. So Scott made a realization that the murderer was a right-handed which is not Shawanda. So he gathered and reviewed all the flight documents from that day and found Clark’s flight and a related person to him was on a flight just next to his scheduled flight. The person related to him on the next flight with the same destination as him was Delroy Lund who is a bodyguard of his father Senator McCall. When Delroy was asked on court about his presence on the day Clark died he said he was in Washington with the Senator. Then when Scott presented the documents and asked him why was his name registered with his driver’s license number, he answered and made an alibi that he forgot about that day. Then he accidentally denied killing Clark but called him something foolish and the court suspected that he is the murderer. The court suspected and found him guilty of killing Clark because he really has hatred and jealousy from Clark and he followed him that day because she suspected that Clark was going to do something foolish again.