---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no rule of law until the Mafia…"
description: "\"There is no rule of law until the Mafia needs lawyers.\" — Stephen Holmes"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/stephen-holmes-69639_law_there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia_3201011.png"
---

#  There is no rule of law until the Mafia needs lawyers.

![“There is no rule of law until the Mafia needs lawyers.” quote by Stephen Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/stephen-holmes-69639_law_there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia_3201011.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/stephen-holmes-69639_law_there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia_3201011.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/stephen-holmes-69639_law_there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia_3201011.png)

> “There is no rule of law until the Mafia needs lawyers.”

Stephen Holmes

## About This Quote

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

The quote suggests that legal systems are manipulated to serve powerful criminal interests, implying law is selective.

**In simple terms:** Law serves those in power, not everyone.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and challenge legal bias.

Themes

justice power law corruption

Mood

cynical critical

Type

political commentary

When to use this quote

- political activism
- legal reform
- human rights advocacy

Key Concepts

legal manipulation institutional bias

Questions to Reflect On

- How does power influence law enforcement?
- What can individuals do to protect legal integrity?

A Different Perspective

Legal systems can be co-opted, limiting fairness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Mafia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mafia/) [Rule of law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-of-law/)

## Related quotes

> [Work harder, work longer, and earn less because the mafia needs your money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/work-harder-work-longer-and-earn-less-because-the-mafia-needs-your/)

[Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/)

> [“The world needs more laws. I say this only because I believe the world needs more lawyers. If everybody was a lawyer, there’d be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-world-needs-more-laws-i-say-this-only-because-i-believe-the-world/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [An excess of law inescapably weakens the rule of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-tribe/an-excess-of-law-inescapably-weakens-the-rule-of-law/)

[Laurence Tribe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-tribe/)

> [The rule of law that China's dissidents ask for is important to U.S. businesses investing in China as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/the-rule-of-law-that-china-s-dissidents-ask-for-is-important-to-u-s/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [Lack of rule of law is the main reason Pakistan could not join the ranks of progressive nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-khan/lack-of-rule-of-law-is-the-main-reason-pakistan-could-not-join-the/)

[Imran Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imran-khan/)

> [Human rights and rule of law are inseparably connected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/human-rights-and-rule-of-law-are-inseparably-connected/)

[Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/)

> [In any civil society, there's a serious problem when confidence in the rule of law is shaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/in-any-civil-society-there-s-a-serious-problem-when-confidence-in-the/)

[Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/)

> [I think the United States is still the indispensable force for positive change and for rule of law and for order and structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-think-the-united-states-is-still-the-indispensable-force-for/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [I studied law before I became a filmmaker, and I actually have a great belief in the justice system and the rule of law.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-broomfield/i-studied-law-before-i-became-a-filmmaker-and-i-actually-have-a-great/)

[Nick Broomfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-broomfield/)

> [Rule of law is based on probable cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-swalwell/rule-of-law-is-based-on-probable-cause/)

[Eric Swalwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-swalwell/)

> [The first step in the direction of a world rule of law is the recognition that peace no longer is an unobtainable ideal but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-first-step-in-the-direction-of-a-world-rule-of-law-is-the/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [“The Chinese state, from the days of the Qin, was an efficient, bureaucratized autocracy. Yet to this day, China has never developed the rule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-wade/the-chinese-state-from-the-days-of-the-qin-was-an-efficient/)

[Nicholas Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-wade/)

> [A country's adhering to the rule of law does not mean that its citizens will not do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-inhofe/a-country-s-adhering-to-the-rule-of-law-does-not-mean-that-its/)

[James Inhofe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-inhofe/)

> [Overregulation corrupts citizens and weakens the rule of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/overregulation-corrupts-citizens-and-weakens-the-rule-of-law/)

[Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/)

> [Any new legal measures, or cooperative arrangements between government and companies meant to keep people from organizing violence or criminal actions, must not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/any-new-legal-measures-or-cooperative-arrangements-between-government/)

[Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/)

## More by Stephen Holmes

> [Antiliberals endlessly berate their enemies for instrumental thinking. But they do not clearly explain the evil of producing better goods at a lower cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-holmes/antiliberals-endlessly-berate-their-enemies-for-instrumental-thinking/)

Stephen Holmes

> [Liberalism demands that people without guns be able to tell people with guns what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-holmes/liberalism-demands-that-people-without-guns-be-able-to-tell-people/)

Stephen Holmes

> [In Madison's famous formulation in the Federalist, constitutional restrictions on government assume that we "first enable the government to control the governed." If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-holmes/in-madison-s-famous-formulation-in-the-federalist-constitutional/)

Stephen Holmes

Explore all 4 Stephen Holmes quotes

## More Law quotes

> [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [ \[Islam\] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abul-a-la-maududi/islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislation-in-an-islamic-state-because/)

[Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abul-a-la-maududi/)

> [The law is like apparel, which alters with the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dodderidge/the-law-is-like-apparel-which-alters-with-the-time/)

John Dodderidge

> [I am convinced that we will never build a democratic state based on rule of law if we do not at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-am-convinced-that-we-will-never-build-a-democratic-state-based-on/)

[Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

> [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/)

[Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/)

> [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Laws undertake to punish only overt acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laws-undertake-to-punish-only-overt-acts/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [In relations between the rich and the strong, between the rich and the poor, between the master and the servant, it's liberty that grinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-relations-between-the-rich-and-the-strong-between-the-rich-and-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

[Browse all 16,973 Law quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There is no rule of law until the Mafia needs lawyers.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stephen Holmes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-holmes/there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia-needs-lawyers/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Law"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-holmes/there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia-needs-lawyers/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/stephen-holmes-69639_law_there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia_3201011.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/stephen-holmes-69639_law_there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia_3201011.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/stephen-holmes-69639_law_there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia_3201011.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is no rule of law until the Mafia needs lawyers.” — Stephen Holmes",
                "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": "Stephen Holmes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-holmes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There is no rule of law...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-holmes/there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia-needs-lawyers/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-holmes/there-is-no-rule-of-law-until-the-mafia-needs-lawyers/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
