Jeffrey D. Harvey

John Adams’ influence on the judiciary and the role of the law and lawyers is still felt today. His belief that defendants deserved equal counsel under the law directly influenced the Sixth Amendment, and today’s concept of legal aid is a direct result of his thinking.

Adams was deeply committed to equal representation before the law and was willing to place his reputation on the line for his principles. After the Boston Massacre, he defended the British soldiers accused of murdering five American colonists. On that matter, he later wrote, “Council ought to be the very last thing that an accused Person should want in a free Country,” and “every Lawyer must hold himself responsible not only to his Country, but to the highest and most infallible of all Trybunals.” In other words, lawyers must be committed to make the legal system work as intended.

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