This may not be a happy choice for lawyers as it would appear that Jane Austen’s view of the legal profession may have been tainted by a liaison with a lawyer which ended without a proposal.
1. In Emma – John Knightly being a lawyer was inconvenient. Emma found him unpleasing and William Coxe being a pert young lawyer was not a suitable suitor for her friend.
2. In Pride and Prejudice the uncle (a lawyer) was one of their low connections
3. In Persuasion Mrs Clay was deemed to be a scheming individual whose father happened to be ….. you guessed it … a lawyer
4. In Sense and Sensibility Edward Ferrers chose the Church over Law.
