Christian Theories of Professional Responsibility

Consideration of the religious and moral significance of legal practice is a subject to which too little attention has been paid in American legal education. Louis M. Brown has been one of those few engaged in the teaching of law who has explored the ethical components of lawyering; his example has been a great influence on many of us. It seems appropriate, therefore, in this tribute to Louis M. Brown, to consider the role which Christian values may play in producing lawyers who are well-developed in interpersonal as in professional skills. This essay will seek to relate Christian values to the American legal profession\u27s most recent statement of ethical aspiration, the Code of Professional Responsibility. In examining this relationship, four canons seem appropriate-those dealing with personal relationship, professional zeal, reform, and example. For both Christian and non-Christian lawyers, it is my hope that this Article will encourage the humanistic lawyering which Louis Brown celebrates in his life and his work