Attorneys are bound by the laws of ethics. Law students spend countless hours studying what they may and may not do when representing their clients. However, real-world application presents far more dilemmas than those discussed in a classroom. Rudy Baylor, the star of the film The Rainmaker, gets a dose of reality as he enters the legal profession right after law school. Rudy is a young, unemployed lawyer desperate for a job. Without any connections to prestigious law firms, he is forced to accept his first offer from J. Lyman "Bruiser" Stone, fraudulent and just all-around shady personal injury attorney. Rudy soon meets Deck Shiffler, a self-proclaimed “a paralawyer”, with some certainly unethical tactics. Rudy begins to accompany Deck on
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As aspiring attorney, it is extremely frustrating to watch television shows and films featuring attorneys violating some of the most important ethical rules. Although Rudy is definitely ambulance chasing in the film, I still found him to be the hero of the film. In my opinion, Rudy does not fit the stereotype of the power-hungry, corrupt lawyer that we see typically depicted. I feel that Rudy is forced to compromise his values as a means to survive. His actions seem to be coming out of a pure heart and unfortunate circumstances. His disdain for unethical practices is apparent in his discussion with Deck at the hospital. In the beginning of the film, Rudy explains his reasoning behind becoming a lawyer, which I think shows his true character despite his sometimes contradictory actions. He narrates, “I wanted to be a lawyer ever since I read about the Civil Rights lawyers in the 50s and 60s, and the amazing uses they found for the law. They did what a lot of people thought was the impossible. They gave lawyers a good name. And so I went to law school” (citation). I feel his purity and sincerity in his motives negate unethical law practices.
After finally agreeing to divorce Cliff and sending him the papers, Kelly and Rudy return to her house to retrieve her belongings. Her husband catches them on their way out and begins to violent attack them with a baseball bat. Rudy and Cliff fight for the bat and Cliff is left in critical condition. Kelly demands, “Give me the bat and leave. You were not here tonight. Give me the bat. Go Rudy. You were not here tonight.” Rudy leaves and hears Kelly swing the fatal blow. Kelly confesses to the police that she had killed Cliff out of self-defense, to protect
As aspiring attorney, it is extremely frustrating to watch television shows and films featuring attorneys violating some of the most important ethical rules. Although Rudy is definitely ambulance chasing in the film, I still found him to be the hero of the film. In my opinion, Rudy does not fit the stereotype of the power-hungry, corrupt lawyer that we see typically depicted. I feel that Rudy is forced to compromise his values as a means to survive. His actions seem to be coming out of a pure heart and unfortunate circumstances. His disdain for unethical practices is apparent in his discussion with Deck at the hospital. In the beginning of the film, Rudy explains his reasoning behind becoming a lawyer, which I think shows his true character despite his sometimes contradictory actions. He narrates, “I wanted to be a lawyer ever since I read about the Civil Rights lawyers in the 50s and 60s, and the amazing uses they found for the law. They did what a lot of people thought was the impossible. They gave lawyers a good name. And so I went to law school” (citation). I feel his purity and sincerity in his motives negate unethical law practices.
After finally agreeing to divorce Cliff and sending him the papers, Kelly and Rudy return to her house to retrieve her belongings. Her husband catches them on their way out and begins to violent attack them with a baseball bat. Rudy and Cliff fight for the bat and Cliff is left in critical condition. Kelly demands, “Give me the bat and leave. You were not here tonight. Give me the bat. Go Rudy. You were not here tonight.” Rudy leaves and hears Kelly swing the fatal blow. Kelly confesses to the police that she had killed Cliff out of self-defense, to protect