Eloquor, Advocatus! Ancient Influences on Professional Responsibility

Abstract

Law schools' professional responsibility courses cover ethical requirements of practicing attorneys and occasionally delve into moral obligations owed to the public. One topic not regularly studied is the profession itself as a profession, as opposed to a trade or other business. Professions have existed for much of human history in many ancient cultures. Much of modern European law is directly descended from the Roman legal system, and many elements of our own common law were developed in Ancient Rome. In many ways, Rome was the birthplace for jurisprudence as we know it. If Roman law laid the foundation for modern law, then how much did the ancient Roman bar contribute to the modern legal profession? This paper will argue that the ancient bar shared many of the same characteristics of professionalism as modern attorneys.