"Litigation is the pursuit of practical ends, not a game of chess"
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Felix Frankfurter's quote "Litigation is the pursuit of useful ends, not a game of chess" underscores a basic understanding of the legal process that contrasts sharply with how legal method is typically perceived. Frankfurter, a prominent American jurist and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, highlights the real-world goals of legal proceedings, rather than the computed, frequently abstract techniques of chess.
In chess, players engage in a cerebral workout, strategizing moves numerous actions ahead with the sole goal of checkmating their challenger. The game is inherently competitive, with each choice made to outmaneuver and eventually conquer the other gamer. This understanding may aptly describe some aspects of legal technique, where legal representatives prepare for challengers' relocations and create complicated methods to win their cases. Nevertheless, Frankfurter's quote suggests that the true essence of lawsuits diverges from this game-playing mindset.
Lawsuits, in Frankfurter's view, should focus on achieving tangible, practical outcomes that serve the interests of justice and society. It exists not merely for the pursuit of success but to solve disputes, promote rights, and address grievances in a way that reflects real-life concerns and needs. Outcomes in litigation can have far-reaching ramifications, affecting people' lives, forming social standards, and even influencing public policy. Thus, the process demands a serious dedication to ethical factors to consider and the equitable administration of justice, instead of a simple tactical contest.
Frankfurter's point of view functions as a pointer that legal specialists must continually stabilize tactical cunning with the more comprehensive purpose of legal procedures-- solving human and business conflicts pragmatically and fairly. This underscores the judiciary's role as a mechanism for societal stability and fairness, a function that extends far beyond the tactical interplay suggested by a video game of chess.
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