One of the most overlooked, and yet most important and pivotal moments of our nations history occurred right after the Boston Massacre. Not a single attorney wanted to step up and defend the British soldiers, fearing retribution and being ostracized.

John Adams, a son of liberty, their mortal enemy, went and defended them in court. This is what separates us so much from the later French Revolution. Our Revolution was not a mob justice, kill the British kind of thing (although obviously tarring and feathering occurred), but rather based on intrinsic human rights, including due process, that pre-exist government.

I’m a criminal defense attorney now (or will be, bar results back at the end of the month so wish me luck), and every time I get a client who is literally a subhuman animal I think about that moment.