Quote:
Originally Posted by KC_Connection
I'd say that's a lot of what it boils down to. His sheer inability to see Jimmy as any kind of equal (whether that be morally, intellectually, or from a career perspective). He can't imagine a guy like his brother being on the same "level" he is and it irks him that Jimmy even tries. He'd much rather pigeonhole him in his mind as Slippin' Jimmy and not have to ever alter it (and after the betrayal, he'll probably never have to).
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I'd dispute those perspectives aside from the moral component.
I think Chuck admires a lot about Jimmy, just not as a lawyer. He probably thinks he'd be a good spouse and provider, a good worker in other professions, that he is a good brother, etc.
But he fetishizes the law, and to an extent, he's justified. An attorney wields great power over the fate of his clients and his opposition. They are entrusted with secrets and the fate of wealth and possessions, as well as the very lives of clients facing criminal charges. Chuck is a rule follower, which in some ways impinges on his abilities as an advocate. There's a reason he is a civil attorney. There are rules and evidence that are black and white. If he wins a case, the law was on his side. If he loses a case, he followed the law and can sleep at night.
I don't think he has it in him to be a zealous advocate when the liberty of an accused criminal is on the line. He could never 'advise'/nudge a client to destroy damning evidence, or coach one on the fine points of answering questions in a way that obfuscates metaphysical truth. There is a philosophical merit to his standards, but it would prove cold solace to a client serving jail time because Chuck revered the law more than he defended his client.