The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same: Mr. Tutt and the Distrust of Lawyers in the Early Twentieth Century

Authors

Molly A. Guptill, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Abstract

The note explores the intersection of public perception, legal ethics, and professional identity in the twentieth century, focusing on how Arthur Train's fictional character, Ephraim Tutt, influenced both the public's idealized view of lawyers and the legal profession's response to declining prestige. Train's portrayal of Tutt, a nostalgic archetype of the nineteenth-century country lawyer, highlighted the tension between the profession's modernization and the public's longing for a bygone era of ethical integrity. This duality spurred discussions on legal reform and the evolution of ethical standards, as the profession sought to bridge the gap between myth and reality.

Disciplines

Law | Legal Education | Legal History | Legal Profession

Recommended Citation

Molly A. Guptill, The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same: Mr. Tutt and the Distrust of Lawyers in the Early Twentieth Century, 3 Cardozo Pub. L. Pol’y & Ethics J. 305 (2004).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cplpej/vol3/iss1/20