---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think lawyers have a fidelity to the…"
description: "\"I think lawyers have a fidelity to the system itself that's always got to be with them, and indeed, most of the defense lawyers I know observe that.\" —..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/scott-turow-3838_always_i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-s_2335825.png"
---

#  I think lawyers have a fidelity to the system itself…

![“I think lawyers have a fidelity to the system itself that's always got to be with them, and indeed, most of the defense lawyers I know observe that.” quote by Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/scott-turow-3838_always_i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-s_2335825.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/scott-turow-3838_always_i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-s_2335825.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/scott-turow-3838_always_i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-s_2335825.png)

> “I think lawyers have a fidelity to the system itself that's always got to be with them, and indeed, most of the defense lawyers I know observe that.”

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Lawyers are loyal to the legal system itself, often more than to individual clients.

**In simple terms:** Lawyers value the system over personal cases.

Key Takeaway

Balance system loyalty with client advocacy.

Themes

law ethics systemic loyalty

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

legal philosophical

When to use this quote

- courtrooms
- legal negotiations
- law school

Key Concepts

justice professional duty legal philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you prioritize system vs client?
- What are the risks of over‑identifying with the system?

A Different Perspective

System loyalty can conflict with client needs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fidelity/) [Lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyers/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/)

## Related quotes

> [“I am the keeper of my husband’s history. This is a self-appointed role. I plan to learn everything about his life of the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deirdre-elizabeth-parker/i-am-the-keeper-of-my-husband-s-history-this-is-a-self-appointed-role/)

[Deirdre-Elizabeth Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deirdre-elizabeth-parker/)

> [I hate second-guessing other lawyers because I know that I've tried and lost cases, and somebody could sit there and say, 'Should have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-hate-second-guessing-other-lawyers-because-i-know-that-i-ve-tried/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [“The Lawyers Know Too Much THE LAWYERS, Bob, know too much. They are chums of the books of old John Marshall. They know it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/the-lawyers-know-too-much-the-lawyers-bob-know-too-much-they-are/)

[Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/)

> [Lawyers know life practically. A bookish man should always have them to converse with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/lawyers-know-life-practically-a-bookish-man-should-always-have-them/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [Lawyers know how to take isolated complaints in a divorce case and build them into one big one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedy-lamarr/lawyers-know-how-to-take-isolated-complaints-in-a-divorce-case-and/)

[Hedy Lamarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedy-lamarr/)

> [If there's one thing that lawyers know about reading documents, it's to pay attention to the footnotes. In fact, oftentimes the most important information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asha-rangappa/if-there-s-one-thing-that-lawyers-know-about-reading-documents-it-s/)

[Asha Rangappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asha-rangappa/)

> [I'm an electrical engineer. Honestly, I think we have too many lawyers in Washington. Maybe we need some more engineers. They're trained to solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gianforte/i-m-an-electrical-engineer-honestly-i-think-we-have-too-many-lawyers/)

[Greg Gianforte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gianforte/)

> [Lawyers know that certain witnesses are simply not going to be cooperative and are not going to answer the questions. And what matters at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/lawyers-know-that-certain-witnesses-are-simply-not-going-to-be/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [I think that lawyers are terrible at admitting that they're wrong. And not just admitting it; also realizing it. Most lawyers are very successful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-think-that-lawyers-are-terrible-at-admitting-that-they-re-wrong-and/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [The public regards lawyers with great distrust. They think lawyers are smarter than the average guy but use their intelligence deviously. Well, they're wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lee-bailey/the-public-regards-lawyers-with-great-distrust-they-think-lawyers-are/)

[F. Lee Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lee-bailey/)

> [“defense lawyers are key in promoting the idea that many convicted of child abuse are innocent”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-l-brand/defense-lawyers-are-key-in-promoting-the-idea-that-many-convicted-of/)

Bethany L. Brand

> [One vote, one act or one person can change the course of history. I also thought of the lawyers who daily and tirelessly labor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-barnett/one-vote-one-act-or-one-person-can-change-the-course-of-history-i/)

Martha Barnett

> [I think that lawyers are terrible at admitting that they're wrong. And not just admitting it - also realizing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-think-that-lawyers-are-terrible-at-admitting-that-they-re-wrong-and-2/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [It has something to do with the facts and the law and who the judges are. So I think lawyers sometimes exaggerate their role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/it-has-something-to-do-with-the-facts-and-the-law-and-who-the-judges/)

[Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/)

> [I think the lawyers are such incredible actors. Can you imagine the performance they have to do every day?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-bellucci/i-think-the-lawyers-are-such-incredible-actors-can-you-imagine-the/)

[Monica Bellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-bellucci/)

## More by Scott Turow

> [I'm of that generation of Jews still deeply influenced by the Holocaust. Certainly the notion that the state power to kill can be subject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-m-of-that-generation-of-jews-still-deeply-influenced-by-the/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [I cannot think of a day in my life when the library didn’t exert a potent attraction for me, offering a sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-cannot-think-of-a-day-in-my-life-when-the-library-didn-t-exert-a/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [Widespread public access to knowledge, like public education, is one of the pillars of our democracy, a guarantee that we can maintain a well-informed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/widespread-public-access-to-knowledge-like-public-education-is-one-of/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [I'm an ambitious person, and Harvard makes me feel successful, just having gotten in here. That's the ugly side of why I'm proud of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-m-an-ambitious-person-and-harvard-makes-me-feel-successful-just/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [My sister was a twin, and the other baby died in childbirth, and I was three at the time, and I always kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/my-sister-was-a-twin-and-the-other-baby-died-in-childbirth-and-i-was/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [After a week, it's better. I miss her. I mourn her. But some peace has returned. She had been so unattainable - so young,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/after-a-week-it-s-better-i-miss-her-i-mourn-her-but-some-peace-has/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [There are lots of things about Amazon for which they deserve credit. They're innovative. There are lots of very, very happy Amazon customers. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/there-are-lots-of-things-about-amazon-for-which-they-deserve-credit/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [Postmodernism cost literature its audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/postmodernism-cost-literature-its-audience/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [Libraries function as crucial technology hubs, not merely for free Web access, but for those who need computer training and assistance. Library business centers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/libraries-function-as-crucial-technology-hubs-not-merely-for-free-web/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [That led me to say that when push comes to shove, I'm against capital punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/that-led-me-to-say-that-when-push-comes-to-shove-i-m-against-capital/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [I hate second-guessing other lawyers because I know that I've tried and lost cases, and somebody could sit there and say, 'Should have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-hate-second-guessing-other-lawyers-because-i-know-that-i-ve-tried/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [The issue is not whether there are horrible cases where the penalty seems "right". The real question is whether we will ever design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/the-issue-is-not-whether-there-are-horrible-cases-where-the-penalty/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [“It was crime at its purest, in which empathy, that most fundamental aspect of human morality, evaporated and another being became only a target…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/it-was-crime-at-its-purest-in-which-empathy-that-most-fundamental/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [“You accept that it happened. But you know that life burned this hole in your heart and it's not going to heal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/you-accept-that-it-happened-but-you-know-that-life-burned-this-hole/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> ['Presumed Innocent' was written over a six to seven year period with intervals in between where I was figuring out the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/presumed-innocent-was-written-over-a-six-to-seven-year-period-with/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

[Explore all 118 Scott Turow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

## More Always quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

[William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

> [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/)

[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/)

[Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/)

[Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

Browse all 36,048 Always quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think lawyers have a fidelity to the system itself that's always got to be with them, and indeed, most of the defense lawyers I know observe that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Scott Turow"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-system-itself-that-s-always/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Always"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-system-itself-that-s-always/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/scott-turow-3838_always_i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-s_2335825.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/scott-turow-3838_always_i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-s_2335825.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/scott-turow-3838_always_i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-s_2335825.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think lawyers have a fidelity to the system itself that's always got to be with them, and indeed, most of…” — Scott Turow",
                "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": "Scott Turow",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think lawyers have a fidelity...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-system-itself-that-s-always/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-think-lawyers-have-a-fidelity-to-the-system-itself-that-s-always/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
