This might seem like a strange title for an article. Aren’t lawyers required to be honest with their clients? Of course. Does that mean lawyers are always completely honest with their clients? Unfortunately, my experience as a criminal defense lawyer indicates that some lawyers may not always be completely candid, especially when trying to get a client to hire them.
One of the roots of the problem is that many criminal defense clients do not really want their lawyer to be completely honest with them. If you ask them directly, they will say they want their lawyer to be honest, but what they often really want is for their lawyer to tell them that the lawyer can solve all of their problems. This can create a powerful incentive for lawyers to say (or at least imply) what clients want to hear. Beyond the obvious ethical issues, I believe this is a serious disservice to clients, and it can create major problems for the client down the road.
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