Legal Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Legal Ethics - Essay Example A Morgan poll conducted in Australia showed that the public has a poor opinion of lawyers1 which has been deteriorating over the years, findings which replicated those of the American Harris Poll conducted in 1997, showing a deterioration in the perception of lawyer prestige from 36% in 1977 to 18% in 1997.2 The movies portray lawyers in an adversarial, litigating role at trial courts, especially in the case of women lawyers.3 This highlights the aggressive and confrontational role of lawyers and enhances this image in the public mind. Graham and Maschio have pointed out how the conventions of movies interact with the conventions of law4. Through a particular depiction of various categories of lawyers in films, such as female or gay lawyers, the general image of such lawyers may be distorted among members of the public. Rapoport has pointed out how the public images of lawyers as revealed on the silver screen could also affect the manner in which lawyers view ethical dilemmas and make ethical choices, with law students being particularly susceptible to such images.5 The notion of professional and ethical responsibility of lawyers is being increasingly undermined by the screen images and Ross and MacFarlane have highlighted evidence which suggests that students â€Å"do not take the courses in professional responsibility seriously.†6 In general, students take up courses in law for the purpose of better earnings, rather than being motivated by the desire to practice law in an ethical manner7. Moreover, films tend to portray lawyers as bad characters who conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner, which undermines the confidence of the public and also affects the perceptions of new emerging lawyers. Asimov provides several examples of such negative portrayals of lawyers in films– for example, the character of arrogant and rude lawyer Martin Vale in the film â€Å"Primal fear†, or the drug abusing character of

The dangers of texting while driving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The dangers of texting while driving - Essay Example â€Å"According to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, drivers talking on cell phones are 18 percent slower to react to brake lights†¦take 17 percent longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked† (Edgar Synder & Associates, 2013, para.53). This shows how drivers get distracted. Also, according to Ad Council (2011, para.1), â€Å"A texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver.† Not only this, texting drivers are more prone to miss the traffic signs and lights, undergoing fines and penalties later on. There may be preventions, like keeping the phone locked in some phone gadget in the car; putting off the phone at all while driving; and, stopping the urge to text. All of this needs determination, and awareness, of course. To conclude, texting while driving is a very dangerous act since it threatens the lives of the drivers and others on the road. Drivers should be aware of dos and don’ts of driving safely, in order to prove themselves as responsible