Abstract
This chapter examines the responsibilities that lawyers have to society and the greater good. While the professional codes tend to focus on duties to clients, there are some limited duties to the public good. These are found in the duties under the criminal law, and the broader duty to the court and justice system. Lawyers also recognise an obligation to the greater good by means of their pro bono work. However, this is not undertaken by every lawyer. A particularly topical issue is the extent to which duties to respond to the climate emergency should be balanced with their duties to clients. Some lawyers increasingly present a public profile as advocates for certain causes or political positions and this can create problems.
