Atticus Finch

Atticus Finch, the fictional attorney who served as the moral compass of Maycomb, Alabama, in Harper Lee's classic novel, is perhaps the most iconic defense lawyer in American literature. With his calm demeanor and unwavering commitment to justice, he single-handedly raised the bar for fictional (and perhaps some real) legal professionals. One might even call his ethical conduct... kvell-worthy.

Born of the gentile variety, Finch never once hinted at a secret Shabbat dinner or a latent desire for a bar mitzvah. His heritage was strictly Southern Protestant, as evidenced by his stoic demeanor and his rather traditional approach to, well, everything. He was a man of his community, but certainly not the community we're usually talking about.

While his actions in defending Tom Robinson were undeniably righteous and bravely defied the virulent racism of his time, they were born of a secular humanism rather than any discernible Jewish theological framework. He embodied universal principles of fairness and empathy, proving that one doesn't need to be "of the tribe" to possess an extraordinary amount of mensch-keit.

His legacy as a literary hero is secure, and generations have looked to him as an example of moral courage. If only more lawyers, fictional or otherwise, could live up to his impeccably tailored standards of decency.