Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies

This paper has the purpose of highlighting the role of lawyers in the justice system. It attempts to provide a basic conceptual framework for the analysis of lawyer performance as it relates to the operation of the administration of justice in Mexico, especially in criminal cases. For such purpose, and after presenting an overview of legal education and the legal profession in Mexico, the professional effectiveness of lawyers and their role as intermediaries between the justice system and society are examined. This allows identifying the main avenues for future reform, but much will depend also on having a more detailed and precise description of the actual behavior of lawyers and on an open and public debate on their proper role in the judicial process.