The concept of the "Jewish lawyer" is a stereotype of Jews,[1][2][3] which depicts Jews and Jewish lawyers as clever, greedy, exploitative, dishonest, and as engaging in moral turpitude and excessive legalism.[1][4] According to Michael Asimow and Shannon Mader, the stereotype dates back to Joseph, the son of Jacob, in the Hebrew Bible.[1] Ted Merwin writes that in the United States the stereotype became popular in the mid-to-late 20th century when Jews started entering the legal profession.[5]
The concept of the "Jewish lawyer" is a stereotype of Jews,[1][2][3] which depicts Jews and Jewish lawyers as clever, greedy, exploitative, dishonest, and as engaging in moral turpitude and excessive legalism.[1][4] According to Michael Asimow and Shannon Mader, the stereotype dates back to Joseph, the son of Jacob, in the Hebrew Bible.[1] Ted Merwin writes that in the United States the stereotype became popular in the mid-to-late 20th century when Jews started entering the legal profession.[5]
The stock character of the Jewish lawyer appears frequently in popular culture.[1][6][7] Jay Michaelson writes in The Forward that the character of Maurice Levy, in the drama series The Wire, played by Michael Kostroff, is stereotypical, with a "New York accent and the quintessential pale skin, brown hair and Ashkenazic nose of the typical American Jew". [4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Asimow, Michael; Mader, Shannon (2004). Law and Popular Culture: A Course Book. Peter Lang Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-8204-5815-1.
- ^ Irons, Peter H. (1993). The New Deal Lawyers. Princeton University Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-691-00082-4.
- ^ Feingold, Henry L. (2002). Zion in America: The Jewish Experience from Colonial Times to the Present. Dover Publications. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-486-42236-7.
- ^ a b Michaelson, Jay. "A Jew and a Lawyer Are Sitting in a Bar...". The Forward. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 10 November 2010. Archived by WebCite on 10 November 2010.
- ^ Merwin, Ted (2006). In Their Own Image: New York Jews in Jazz Age Popular Culture. Rutgers University Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-8135-3809-9.
- ^ Pearl, Jonathan; Pearl, Judith (1999) .The Chosen Image: Television's Portrayal of Jewish Themes and Characters. McFarland & Company. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7864-0522-0.
- ^ Sanua, Victor D. (1983). Fields of Offerings: Studies in Honor of Raphael Patai. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 159.
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