Lawyer Professionalism in the 21st century

The environment within which legal services are supplied has witnessed change through the passage of time, but more so, it seems, in recent times. This has in turn squarely raised the question as to whether a corresponding shift has ensued in what may be described as ‘lawyer professionalism’'. If the professional landscape changes, it may be surmised, perhaps the notion of what is means to be a legal professional has likewise changed. The object of this article is to catalogue what has traditionally formed the accepted understanding of (lawyer) professionalism, as a springboard for inquiry into whether indeed the parameters of lawyer professionalism have indeed shifted.