Who's the Least Ethical Lawyer on 'Arrested Development'?
"Arrested Development" is the second-most-brilliant television show ever made. Though no one watched for the three years when it originally aired, it developed a cult following through web-streaming on Hulu and Netflix. And now, it's being resurrected with 15 new episodes that will air exclusively on Netflix beginning May 26.
If you're one of the show's many zealous fans, then you've come to know and love the zany attorneys who have graced the screen with the wackadoodle Bluth family. All of them commit some kind of professional infraction during the course of the series, but who's the least ethical lawyer on "Arrested Development"? Here are your options:
(SPOILERS AHEAD! If you're just starting the series, click away...)
- Maggie Lizer. The only female attorney on the show, Lizer is the prosecutor leading the case against George Bluth Sr. for fraud and light treason. During the first season, Lizer -- who fakes blindness to win sympathy from judges and juries -- knowingly starts a relationship with Michael Bluth to extract information for her case against his father. In Season 2, she falsely alleges in a tort claim that a restaurant's food made her client fat, even though she knows that her client is actually pregnant. Can we say Rule 11 violation?
- Barry Zuckerkorn. Zuckerkorn is the bumbling attorney representing George Bluth Sr. Though he markets his services on bus benches with the slogan, "He's very good," Zuckerkorn is anything but competent. This guy is a malpractice and/or ineffective assistance of counsel claim waiting to happen.
- Wayne Jarvis. "Arrested Development" narrator Ron Howard describes Jarvis as "almost always" serious, and "the worst audience participant Cirque du Soleil ever had" because he "did not find their buffoonery amusing." Michael approaches Jarvis to represent the Bluth family, but he ultimately declines. Later, Jarvis becomes the prosecutor against George Bluth Sr., which clearly falls within the conflict of interest category. Jarvis guffaws at the suggestion, saying, "It's called the PATRIOT Act, read it." Not quite, Jarvis. That's a special conflict of interest.
- Bob Loblaw. The Bluths eventually hire Loblaw, a legal eagle who has a habit of overbilling. Real life lawyers, however, respect Loblaw as the law-blogging pioneer who launched the Bob Loblaw Law Blog.
I've always been partial to Maggie Lizer, mainly because she had a blind "guide" dog named Justice. Want to make a case for your favorite lawyer of the bunch? File a motion on Facebook or Google+.
Related Resources:
- The 3 Most Evil Fictional Lawyers (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Lindsay Lohan's Attorney Fined for Plagiarism (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- A Wee Time Management Question: Do You Bill for Bathroom Breaks? (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)