To the Editor:
Re “As New Lawyer, Senator Defended Big Tobacco” (front page, March 27):
Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York should be lauded, not criticized, for her representation of an unpopular client.
One of the great traditions of American law, dating at least from the time John Adams represented the British soldiers accused in the Boston Massacre, is that our best lawyers represent the despised and unpopular, particularly those accused of or investigated for alleged crimes.
Had these lawyers, in consideration of their political futures, chosen not to represent such people or entities, we Americans would not have many of the liberties we cherish.
Lawrence S. Goldman
New York, March 27, 2009
The writer is a former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 