The Legal Profession and Ethics: the Line Between Law and Morality

Abstract

Lawyer’s profession status in society – particularly significant, requiring not only high intelligence, deep legal education, operating in the interests of the public, but also the ethical behavior. Not only the professional status itself but also norms enshrined in the law obliges lawyers to follow the ethical rules. Analyzing the professional ethics of the lawyer it is important to be considered the boundary between the question of legality and morality which often remains open. From the ethical point of view, the article poses the question of the adequacy of the lawfulness of a lawyer’s behavior. The beginning of this article explains relations between lawyer’s profession and ethics. In order to justify the exclusion of legal ethics, initially analysing ethics in general and professional ethics. As one of the key factors of the lawyer professional ethics, identifying legal and moral, and personal and public interests intersections. These components are often conflicting between each other and this confrontation allows to explain unethical behavior motives and consequences.