--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I couldn't do that as attorney general…" description: "\"I couldn't do that as attorney general. Why? Because they are my clients. You can't say they're not doing what they ought to be doing when you are the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/christine-gregoire-19185_attorney_i-couldn-t-do-that-as-attorney-general-w_751006.jpg" --- # I couldn't do that as attorney general. Why? Because they… ![“I couldn't do that as attorney general. Why? Because they are my clients. You can't say they're not doing what they ought to be doing when you are the attorney general.” quote by Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/christine-gregoire-19185_attorney_i-couldn-t-do-that-as-attorney-general-w_751006.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/christine-gregoire-19185_attorney_i-couldn-t-do-that-as-attorney-general-w_751006.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/christine-gregoire-19185_attorney_i-couldn-t-do-that-as-attorney-general-w_751006.jpg) > “I couldn't do that as attorney general. Why? Because they are my clients. You can't say they're not doing what they ought to be doing when you are the attorney general.” [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A conflict of interest: an attorney general cannot act against clients. **In simple terms:** Attorney general can’t prosecute own clients. Key Takeaway Uphold ethical boundaries. Themes ethics law conflict of interest Mood serious formal Type legal ethical When to use this quote - government decisions - legal cases Key Concepts legal duty public trust Questions to Reflect On - How should officials handle such conflicts? - What safeguards protect public interest? A Different Perspective Legal constraints may limit justice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attorney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attorney/) ## Related quotes > [We're promoting the concept of public engagement. It's as much about what clients do as how they say it. 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They really don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marino/i-like-my-clients-all-of-my-clients-say-peter-you-re-talented-but/) [Peter Marino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marino/) > [Clients say, 'What's your strategy,' and I say, 'Ask me what I believe first.' That's a far more enduring answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginni-rometty/clients-say-what-s-your-strategy-and-i-say-ask-me-what-i-believe/) [Ginni Rometty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginni-rometty/) > [What disturbed me most, frankly, about the Rod Rosenstein memo, is the fact it was addressed to the attorney general. The attorney general was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/what-disturbed-me-most-frankly-about-the-rod-rosenstein-memo-is-the/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [Now, how do you explain Obama's claim, that he can kill American citizens without due process? 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Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/on-march-12-2004-acting-attorney-general-james-b-comey-and-the/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [My wife and daughters work. My campaign manager in 2005 was a working mother. I appointed 5 women to my senior staff as Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/my-wife-and-daughters-work-my-campaign-manager-in-2005-was-a-working/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) ## More by Christine Gregoire > [It was very constraining, much more than I ever would have thought, to run for governor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/it-was-very-constraining-much-more-than-i-ever-would-have-thought-to/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [Education is the foundation upon which we build our future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/education-is-the-foundation-upon-which-we-build-our-future/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [Education can lift individuals out of poverty and into rewarding careers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/education-can-lift-individuals-out-of-poverty-and-into-rewarding/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [I will never be able to create a budget from scratch with the amount of time that I have, but my instructions remain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/i-will-never-be-able-to-create-a-budget-from-scratch-with-the-amount/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [We cannot say to one couple that their love is deserving of marriage and to another that their love should only be called a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/we-cannot-say-to-one-couple-that-their-love-is-deserving-of-marriage/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [It is time for us to turn a corner and come together, put our differences behind us and focus on the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/it-is-time-for-us-to-turn-a-corner-and-come-together-put-our/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [Truly, the challenges we face are not Democratic challenges or Republican challenges. In fact, they are not political challenges at all; they are fiscal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/truly-the-challenges-we-face-are-not-democratic-challenges-or/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [We have lots of studies about what's wrong with our education system. We need to accept responsibility, be bold, find solutions and move forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/we-have-lots-of-studies-about-what-s-wrong-with-our-education-system/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [We've established a Washington State Academy of Sciences that will enable us to make decisions based on science about what is right for our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/we-ve-established-a-washington-state-academy-of-sciences-that-will/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [Parents who have fought fiercely for the rights of their much-loved Gay and Lesbian children should not have to worry that their children will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/parents-who-have-fought-fiercely-for-the-rights-of-their-much-loved/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [Vernon Reis opened the world to me through books. He taught me that while I was physically firmly planted in blue-collar Auburn, Washington in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/vernon-reis-opened-the-world-to-me-through-books-he-taught-me-that/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [It is up to us to live up to the legacy that was left for us, and to leave a legacy that is worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/it-is-up-to-us-to-live-up-to-the-legacy-that-was-left-for-us-and-to/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [All of us basically want the same things: opportunity for our children, and prosperity for our families and communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/all-of-us-basically-want-the-same-things-opportunity-for-our-children/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [There is just no reason why the richest nation in the world can't provide health care to all its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/there-is-just-no-reason-why-the-richest-nation-in-the-world-can-t/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [The US government should not be in the business of discrimination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/the-us-government-should-not-be-in-the-business-of-discrimination/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) [Explore all 33 Christine Gregoire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) ## More Attorney quotes > [My wife and daughters work. My campaign manager in 2005 was a working mother. I appointed 5 women to my senior staff as Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/my-wife-and-daughters-work-my-campaign-manager-in-2005-was-a-working/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [What was unique about me being in City Hall during the Giuliani Administration, I was the only one who wasn't an attorney. I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lhota/what-was-unique-about-me-being-in-city-hall-during-the-giuliani/) [Joe Lhota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lhota/) > [My first job paid well for a young attorney. I was making over $50,000, which was more than either of my parents had ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-first-job-paid-well-for-a-young-attorney-i-was-making-over-50-000/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/on-march-12-2004-acting-attorney-general-james-b-comey-and-the/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [It took a bit of talking through administrative people, but only once did an attorney try and get in the way of the process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-shear/it-took-a-bit-of-talking-through-administrative-people-but-only-once/) [Jules Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-shear/) > [I wasn't meant to be an attorney, but I was meant to go to law school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-huang/i-wasn-t-meant-to-be-an-attorney-but-i-was-meant-to-go-to-law-school/) [Eddie Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-huang/) > [Here, I am looking for a document issued by a public attorney. I don't find. He is accused by the political leaders of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-verges/here-i-am-looking-for-a-document-issued-by-a-public-attorney-i-don-t/) [Jacques Verges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-verges/) > [Protecting the rights of service members was an important part of my work as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/protecting-the-rights-of-service-members-was-an-important-part-of-my/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [ \[Michael\] Felix and other immigration attorneys say it's possible \[Melania\] Trump was doing what a lot of models do - working illegally on a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hansi-lo-wang/michael-felix-and-other-immigration-attorneys-say-it-s-possible/) Hansi Lo Wang > [Modern society includes three types of men who can never think very highly of the world--the priest, the physician, and the attorney-at-law. They all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/modern-society-includes-three-types-of-men-who-can-never-think-very/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > ['To Kill a Mockingbird' is really two stories. One is a coming-of-age tale told from the point of view of Scout Finch, a girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-j-shields/to-kill-a-mockingbird-is-really-two-stories-one-is-a-coming-of-age/) [Charles J. Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-j-shields/) > [When I went to jail, I was a trained lawyer. 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