Add to ORKGWhat does it mean to say that one is a good lawyer in the United States? The dominant view is that a lawyer is a zealous advocate owing loyalty to, and taking direction from, the client. The lawyer is singularly focused and hyper-rationality is prized. This article challenges that narrative. Using the real lives of a group of lawyers across the United States, this article offers rich and nuanced descriptive data about the possibilities of good lawyering through compassion, equanimity, and an expanded notion of honesty. This article contributes importantly to the debate about what it means to be a good lawyer by moving beyond speculation to an actual inquiry and dissection of lawyering that prioritizes professional values other than th...