The Legal Ethics of ‘Better Call Saul’

Each episode of AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff/prequel Better Call Saul features the main character involved in some sort of murky legal and ethical situations. After noticing that other podcasts and blogs that discuss the show had not yet adequately addressed the legal ethics issues that arise in each episode, New York-based ethics lawyer and Fordham University School of Law  graduate Nicole Hyland decided to fill that void.

Hyland’s blog, The Legal Ethics of Better Call Saul, which analyzes the sometimes-questionable antics of Saul Goodman, has been featured in Slate’s TV Club podcast, Above the Law, and Lawyer2Lawyer. Each post reviews the legal ethics issues in one episode of the show, citing New York state ethics rules, and occasionally, those from New Mexico, where the show takes place, noting when there are conflicts between the two.

Hyland — currently a partner in the litigation and professional responsibility groups at Frankfurt Kurnit and the chair of the committee on professional ethics of The New York City Bar Association — credits her experience at Fordham Law School with introducing her to using stories as a teaching tool.

“Some of my best professors at Fordham were masters at using the facts of a case to paint a vivid picture that would drive home the legal point,” she explained. “When I teach and write about ethics, I use colorful examples to make the subject matter more interesting and enhance retention. Better Call Saul presented a great opportunity to teach legal ethics in an entertaining way.”

Written By Fordham University Center for Ethics Education

Fordham Law Graduate Addresses Legal Ethics of ‘Better Call Saul’ was originally published @ Ethics and Society and has been syndicated with permission.

Photo by televisione