"The people's lawyer"

Corruption at the highest levels of government and business has led news reports around the world in these early years of the new century. In this environment, the identification of individuals who adhere to high ethical standards is particularly useful for guidance in ethical decision-making. This profile examines whether Eliot Spitzer, New York State attorney general, has become an ethical role model by prosecuting criminal behavior in the business sector. The article looks at four of Spitzer's most controversial investigations: gun control, acid rain, Wall Street financial manipulations, and garment-industry organized crime. These cases have earned Spitzer praise for protecting the interests of the average citizen against business, as well as criticism for overstepping his jurisdiction and trying cases in the media. The discussion concludes that exemplars need not, indeed cannot, be perfect to accomplish a great deal.