--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After 25-plus years as a lawyer…" description: "\"After 25-plus years as a lawyer, prosecutor, and defense attorney, I have developed a deep appreciation for both the wisdom of the law and the role tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/eliot-spitzer-8630_appreciation_after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecut_2194656.png" --- # After 25-plus years as a lawyer, prosecutor, and defense… ![“After 25-plus years as a lawyer, prosecutor, and defense attorney, I have developed a deep appreciation for both the wisdom of the law and the role that jurists play in framing the rights and responsibilities that define our society.” quote by Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/eliot-spitzer-8630_appreciation_after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecut_2194656.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/eliot-spitzer-8630_appreciation_after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecut_2194656.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/eliot-spitzer-8630_appreciation_after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecut_2194656.png) > “After 25-plus years as a lawyer, prosecutor, and defense attorney, I have developed a deep appreciation for both the wisdom of the law and the role that jurists play in framing the rights and responsibilities that define our society.” [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legal experience reveals law’s wisdom and the crucial role jurists play in shaping societal rights and duties. **In simple terms:** Law balances wisdom and societal framing. Key Takeaway Recognize law’s impact on society. Themes law justice societal structure Mood reflective analytical Type legal philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - court decisions - civil rights advocacy Key Concepts jurisprudence rights responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do jurists hold? - How can law evolve with society? A Different Perspective Legal frameworks can be slow to adapt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) [Attorney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attorney/) [Defense attorneys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-attorneys/) [Framing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/framing/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Our society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-society/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights and responsibilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-and-responsibilities/) ## Related quotes > [Ask any lawyer - if a prosecutor thinks he can win a case, he'll prosecute it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/ask-any-lawyer-if-a-prosecutor-thinks-he-can-win-a-case-he-ll/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I was more interested in journalism and fact-finding than other things, so I didn't plan to work 30 years as a lawyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/i-was-more-interested-in-journalism-and-fact-finding-than-other/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [“On the Day of Judgment , life and death are not determined by the world but by God's wisdom and law”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/on-the-day-of-judgment-life-and-death-are-not-determined-by-the-world/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [There is no other book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of concentrated wisdom. Whether it be of law, business, morals...he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/there-is-no-other-book-so-various-as-the-bible-nor-one-so-full-of-2/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [When...has a mugging case ever heard a defense attorney claim, 'Your Honor, the victim was dressed in an Armani suit and wearing a Rolex.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-david/when-has-a-mugging-case-ever-heard-a-defense-attorney-claim-your/) [Peter David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-david/) > [There is no client as scary as an innocent man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/there-is-no-client-as-scary-as-an-innocent-man/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [I had an affinity for criminal law because I came from that background. I understood it. A lot of lawyers of color understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunny-hostin/i-had-an-affinity-for-criminal-law-because-i-came-from-that/) [Sunny Hostin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunny-hostin/) > [When I was a prosecutor in San Francisco I would get advice on trying cases from public defenders and defense attorneys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-pelosi/when-i-was-a-prosecutor-in-san-francisco-i-would-get-advice-on-trying/) [Christine Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-pelosi/) > [I always received much more satisfaction as a defense attorney in obtaining an acquittal for a client than I ever have as a D.A.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-garrison/i-always-received-much-more-satisfaction-as-a-defense-attorney-in/) [Jim Garrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-garrison/) > [If you're a prosecutor, and you believe the defendant is guilty, you only talk about ultimate truth, but not intermediate truth. If you're the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-you-re-a-prosecutor-and-you-believe-the-defendant-is-guilty-you/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [ \[Jurors who are opposed to capital punishment are\] more likely to believe that a defendant's failure to testify is indicative of his guilt, more… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurgood-marshall/jurors-who-are-opposed-to-capital-punishment-are-more-likely-to/) [Thurgood Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurgood-marshall/) > [You can be a career professional as a judge, a prosecutor, sometimes as a defense attorney, and never insist on fairness and justice. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/you-can-be-a-career-professional-as-a-judge-a-prosecutor-sometimes-as/) [Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/) > [One of the people that wrote a forward to my book is Gerry Spence, whom I admire. Gerry is a friend of mine, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/one-of-the-people-that-wrote-a-forward-to-my-book-is-gerry-spence/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [I think most defense attorneys know, to some extent, their clients are guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/i-think-most-defense-attorneys-know-to-some-extent-their-clients-are/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [One of the most fundamental questions people have about defense attorneys is, 'How can you do that? How can you go to bat everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-kelley/one-of-the-most-fundamental-questions-people-have-about-defense/) [David E. Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-kelley/) ## More by Eliot Spitzer > [The pace of global warming is accelerating and the scale of the impact is devastating. The time for action is limited - we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/the-pace-of-global-warming-is-accelerating-and-the-scale-of-the/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [Some say that I should settle down, go slower and not push so hard, so quickly for such transformational change. To them, I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/some-say-that-i-should-settle-down-go-slower-and-not-push-so-hard-so/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [Shareholders have the right and obligation to set the parameters of corporate behavior within which management pursues profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/shareholders-have-the-right-and-obligation-to-set-the-parameters-of/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [The world has conducted a massive macro-economic experiment since the cataclysm of 2008. In Europe, the fans of austerity have had their chance, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/the-world-has-conducted-a-massive-macro-economic-experiment-since-the/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [Any reasonable economist will tell you that it's nearly impossible to isolate the impact of right-to-work laws on a state's job growth. A multitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/any-reasonable-economist-will-tell-you-that-it-s-nearly-impossible-to/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [The Chautauqua Institution is truly a national treasure. It is a place for contemplation and a place for reflection, a place where platitudes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/the-chautauqua-institution-is-truly-a-national-treasure-it-is-a-place/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [From those to whom much is given, much is expected. I have been given much - the love of my family, the faith and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/from-those-to-whom-much-is-given-much-is-expected-i-have-been-given/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [Why does it have to be politics? Is there a dynamism to that world and a theoretical capacity to do things that draws many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/why-does-it-have-to-be-politics-is-there-a-dynamism-to-that-world-and/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [The reality of split government puts a premium on creativity within the administration. President Obama needs to put the right people in charge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/the-reality-of-split-government-puts-a-premium-on-creativity-within/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [It sucks. I used to be governor of New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/it-sucks-i-used-to-be-governor-of-new-york/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [The Republican argument that raising the debt ceiling encourages additional future spending is logically irresponsible. The debt ceiling has to be raised to authorize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/the-republican-argument-that-raising-the-debt-ceiling-encourages/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [I view Al Jazeera as a very serious journalistic outfit. They have proven to observers around the world that they are serious and objective.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/i-view-al-jazeera-as-a-very-serious-journalistic-outfit-they-have/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [As someone with a deep faith in competition and the market, I also know that markets only work with tough enforcement of the rules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/as-someone-with-a-deep-faith-in-competition-and-the-market-i-also/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [I would very honestly just tell you that what I tried to do was simply respond to inquiries from people as they came in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/i-would-very-honestly-just-tell-you-that-what-i-tried-to-do-was/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [Those who are critical of Alliance are the same people who have done nothing for 30 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/those-who-are-critical-of-alliance-are-the-same-people-who-have-done/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) [Explore all 79 Eliot Spitzer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) ## More Appreciation quotes > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) Daniel K Judd > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [A very small percentage of the people in this world will actually experience and live today. So many people will be stuck on another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/a-very-small-percentage-of-the-people-in-this-world-will-actually/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Stop chasing the things you want and embrace all that you already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-chasing-the-things-you-want-and-embrace-all-that-you-already-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Appreciation is the purest vibration that exists on the planet today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/appreciation-is-the-purest-vibration-that-exists-on-the-planet-today/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [“My thank-yous always come out rather labored. I often don't give them at all. People do what they're supposed to do and then wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/my-thank-yous-always-come-out-rather-labored-i-often-don-t-give-them/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“Like gratitude, authentic appreciation in the workplace is a realisation that can be nurtured and accessed with daily mindful practice. By and large, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dines/like-gratitude-authentic-appreciation-in-the-workplace-is-a/) [Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dines/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Recognize and appreciate little things, and enjoy what Life has to offer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/recognize-and-appreciate-little-things-and-enjoy-what-life-has-to/) Cesar Nikko Caharian III > [Men, when it comes to women, value diamonds and put no stock into copper. Diamonds are rare. You can find copper anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/men-when-it-comes-to-women-value-diamonds-and-put-no-stock-into/) Enhance Dreams > [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. Where one has been saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/be-very-slow-to-believe-that-you-are-wiser-than-all-others-it-is-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) [Browse all 2,528 Appreciation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "After 25-plus years as a lawyer, prosecutor, and defense attorney, I have developed a deep appreciation for both the wisdom of the law and the role that jurists play in framing the rights and responsibilities that define our society.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eliot Spitzer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecutor-and-defense-attorney-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appreciation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecutor-and-defense-attorney-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/eliot-spitzer-8630_appreciation_after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecut_2194656.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/eliot-spitzer-8630_appreciation_after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecut_2194656.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/eliot-spitzer-8630_appreciation_after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecut_2194656.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“After 25-plus years as a lawyer, prosecutor, and defense attorney, I have developed a deep appreciation for…” — Eliot Spitzer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eliot Spitzer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "After 25-plus years as a lawyer,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecutor-and-defense-attorney-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/after-25-plus-years-as-a-lawyer-prosecutor-and-defense-attorney-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```