Like so many things in life, the term "zealous advocacy" was born with the best intentions. By definition, it is an attorney's ethical obligation to do everything reasonable, within his or her means, to help a client achieve the goals set forth at the outset of the representation. But, as Lincoln Derr attorney Jeremy Sugg explains in this quick bonus episode, it has evolved over time to be used as a "crutch" — a defense for behavior that walks the line between true zealous advocacy and conduct that flirts with the edges of professionalism. "A lot of attorneys will toe the line of what is allowed under the rules of professionalism, and the defense is often, 'Your honor, I'm being a zealous advocate. That's what I have to do.'"
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