1. What is the relationship between ethics and morality? How are they related, and how are they distinct? Give an example from your own experience that illustrates the relationship between ethics and morality.
2. What is the purpose of morality? How does ethics increase the likelihood that the purpose of morality is fulfilled?
Case Study Questions (file attached):
3. Describe the occupational socialization process illuminated in the case study.
4. What major weaknesses appear to exist in the stages of socialization?
5. What appear to be the rules of the game and how does the legal system benefit from these rules?
Module 2 - Case Study Reflections on a Career I struggled through all of the crap in law school to join the noblest of professions, I thought. I had a belief in the system of justice, that through the adversarial process, the truth would be discovered and justice would be served. I knew about plea bargaining, but I was totally naive about the legal system and how the ―old boys‖ ran things. I passed the bar exam and joined a decent law firm. I was intent on being a defense attorney. The state had a skilled staff of prosecuting attorneys and had the power of skilled detectives to work with to get convictions. To have a balanced adversarial process, skilled and dedicated defense attorneys were important. Then I got my first case. The court appointed my firm to represent an individual who had earned a solid criminal record and was indigent. My boss was happy to assign the case to me—to prime the pump, as he put it. Negotiate the best plea you can for your client, was his advice. The defendant had served time and did not seem troubled by the possibility of returning to prison. However, he maintained his innocence and was opposed to accepting a plea. I discussed the case with the prosecutor assigned to it and asked to look over the file. I was treated well, but clearly as a beginner. As I perused the file, I noted and commented on several discrepancies in the case. The tone of our conversation changed and the prosecutor became somewhat miffed about my analysis. I patiently pressed my point of view. However, the chief prosecutor, who was in earshot of our conversation, intervened. She made it strikingly clear that this was a plea-bargain case. She firmly explained that my client had committed a string of burglaries over the years, that this offense fit his pattern, that everyone knew it was his job and we didn’t need to expend time and money agonizing over discrepancies in the case. She further explained that I was assigned the case as a personal favor to allow me to get some experience with the system and make a few easy bucks. By this time, she was in my face lecturing me about waking up and forgetting all of the crap I had learned in high school civics or law school. This put me over the edge. I asked for my copy of the file and told her and her assistant that I would see them in court. To make a long story short, I took the case to a jury trial and obtained a not guilty verdict. Along the way, I embarrassed the investigating detective, who was not well prepared for the obvious plea-bargain case; angered the judge, who, as I later found out, thought my client was guilty as sin; and completely alienated the chief prosecutor and her assistant who tried the case. My boss attempted to mend the few fences I broke and asked me to apologize and be gracious with the people I had beat up in the process. I was stunned and outraged. The jury found my client not guilty; therefore, in my mind, that was the truth. The adversarial process should prevail over egos or convenience, I thought. I stood my idealistic ground and refused to apologize to anyone. A month after the acquittal, my client committed another burglary, was appointed another attorney, although he requested I represent him, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense and was sentenced to prison. Two months later, I was asked to resign from my law firm and advised to practice on my own. Well, I still do criminal defense work and the thieves and convicts love me. But they usually can’t pay their fees. I have to pay the rent and my bills, so I developed a pretty good divorce practice. But the real truth is that most of my domestic relations clients can’t afford to go to court and have their case reviewed through the adversarial process. So we bargain and settle. Case Study questions(3-5)