ABSTRACT
Canon Seven of the Code of Professional Responsibility states that “a lawyer should represent a client zealously within the bounds of the law.” However, neither zealous representation nor the bounds of the law are clearly delineated in the Code of Professional Responsibility. Therefore, determining whether a given course of action is within the limits of permissible adversary conduct often raises perplexing issues. Resolution of these issues often requires consideration of the moral and ethical rules which have been inculcated in us since childhood—the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, and a myriad of other standards which society has adopted to separate right from wrong. Thus, it is not surprising that some confusion exists as to the propriety of certain practices in the course of representing a client. This essay is aimed toward clarifying the bounds of zealous representation, and elucidating the role of a zealous advocate in criminal defense cases.
