Although they never confronted me directly about it or said so aloud, some judges before whom I've appeared over the years, must have surely wondered to themselves at times: "Does this guy actually believe in the argument he's making?"

Hard to acknowledge publicly, but truthfully, at times, I imagine, my legal arguments have stretched or even strayed to the outer boundaries. I have seen making those arguments, however, as my ethical duty of "zealous advocacy"—most of us, particularly among the criminal bar, do.