Defense attorneys and prosecutors share common characteristics as officers of the court. However, when it comes to professional ethics, lawsuits are a world apart. Both groups have very specific ethical responsibilities to their clients, the administration of justice and the court itself. In a trial, these differences in ethical obligations define the motivations and actions of both parties. The defense attorney is ethically obligated to submit to the decisions of his clients. Unless the client clearly states that they want their attorney to do what they deem appropriate, a defense attorney can only give advice and suggest a course of action (Keyes, 2014). Plaintiffs' lawyers, on the other hand, enjoy complete autonomy. They can take your case in any direction and implement their own strategies in the courtroom to try to secure a conviction. Although your client technically consists of people in your practice area, the public has no say in a prosecutor's actions and a lawyer is not ethically obligated to conform to your preferences. Lawyers of defense ...