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| "Pettifogger" 3-D sculpture by Daniel Midholt, based on a design by Stefan Andersson. Image found at https://www.artstation.com/artwork/zND4d. No claim to copyright. |
One of the more vexing aspects of the legal profession is having to deal with attorneys who engage in sharp practice.
“Sharp practice” is a pejorative expression for unscrupulous conduct, undertaken for the purpose of obtaining an unfair advantage over another, that may (or may not) be technically within the applicable law or rules and is considered immoral, unethical or improper. In business dealings, sharp practice often involves activities that come very close to breaking the law.1 In the legal profession, the greater part of sharp practice occurs on a continuum just beyond the proper bounds of zealous advocacy,2 honor,3 and ethics but just short of outright fraud. It is the sort of behavior that no self-respecting lawyer or judge should have to suffer and no properly functioning legal system should tolerate.
