Daniel Barenboim Quotes

I'm not sure I can say there is a clean line between me as an individual and me as a lawyer.

If I, taking care of everyone's interests, also take care of my own, you can't talk about a conflict of interest.

Yes. I'm a doctor, an epidemiologist, and lots of my professional colleagues flip back and forth between industry and medical roles. I know them; they are not bad people. But it is possible for good people in bad systems to do things that inflict enormous harm.

In some cases, Justice Department leaders can supervise investigations despite having personal knowledge about the entities involved.

There are no client conflicts, only bad explanations.

Every good lawyer knows that if there is something in his client's cause that so personally offends you, morally, religiously, or if it so offends you that you think it would undermine your ability to do your duty as a lawyer, then you shouldn't take it on.

Lawyers enjoy a little mystery, you know. Why, if everybody came forward and told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth straight out, we should all retire to the workhouse.

The Hippocratic Oath says do no harm. It's the Hypocritical Oath that says do no harm to one's political future.

Many say an art dealer running a museum is a 'conflict of interest.' But maybe the art world has lived an artificial or unintentional lie all of these years when it comes to conflicts of interest.

It is true that the politician, in his professional character, does not always, or even very often, conform to the most approved pattern of private conduct.

Whenever I've had to make a major decision as a doctor, cop or for a company I've worked for, I ask myself: What is the value proposition here? Will my decision bring added value to the population I have the privilege to serve?

My job is writing. I get paid to do it. When was the last time you heard someone challenge a doctor for making money off of cancer?

I couldn't do that as attorney general. Why? Because they are my clients. You can't say they're not doing what they ought to be doing when you are the attorney general.

When you have an attorney giving you advice, it would be nice to know what their financial relationship is to the advice.

The ethics of journalism are one thing. Another thing is the ethics of business.

I would never sacrifice my individual beliefs as a citizen to my corporate responsibilities.

Is there anyone I wouldn't take as a client? Well, I'd never represent a banker.

It's very difficult for me to do fund raising for my own organization if I'm working for other companies because sponsors will say, 'Well, hey, man, if she's doing a ballet for Ballet Theatre, we'll give money to Ballet Theatre.'

I had no concerns - I had no reason to have concerns based on what was available to me about North's contacts with the private sector people, but I didn't think a CIA person should do it.

Lawyers have to make a living, and can only do so by inducing people to believe that a straight line is crooked.

A publisher who writes is like a cow in a milk bar.

A good lawyer is a bad Christian.

Never refuse an assignment except when there is a conflict of interest, a potential of danger to you or your family, or you hold a strongly biased attitude about the subject under focus.

What are you supposed to do - stop practicing law whenever one of your friends becomes president?

I could not permit my silence and my inaction to be construed as condonation.... With my tongue tied by the confidentiality demanded of me by law, there was only one way I could make a statement that something was wrong. I chose it. I resigned.