I came across some true writing brilliance today, and I want to share.
Mark Bennett is a criminal defense attorney in Houston, Texas. His blog is here. He writes this on a recent blog entry.
Defenders seek to prevent suffering, as do physicians. Unlike physicians, however, defenders are trying to prevent suffering that someone else is deliberately trying to cause.
Causing suffering to our clients is someone’s idea of justice. If we were to make our own judgments of our clients’ just deserts, we might not try to prevent their suffering.
So the defender’s intent to prevent suffering is accompanied by a suspension of judgment. We try to prevent suffering despite society’s judgment that suffering is just. That is compassion.
My thoughts on this… just “wow.” Mark Bennett just made my list of one of the coolest lawyers in the world.
