How defense attorney race, sex, and quality shape the guilty plea process

Objectives: This study aimed to explore how clients view their defense attorneys and how attorneys shape clients’ plea decisions. Methods: Using an experimental vignette design with randomized photos of defense attorneys, we manipulated attorney (1) race, (2) sex, and (3) type (public or private) to investigate how these characteristics, as well as client perceptions of their attorney, influenced willingness to accept a plea (WTAP). Results: Respondents reported that Black attorneys were more trustworthy, intelligent, and harder working than their White counterparts. Female attorneys were similarly more positively perceived relative to male attorneys. Results also indicated higher WTAP for clients of Black attorneys, especially Black-female attorneys. We observed no significant interactions between client and attorney race/sex, though this may be influenced by small cell sizes in a few categories. Conclusions: Results suggest that clients are making quick judgments about their lawyers that impact the plea decision, and exactly how these judgments are formed is a topic worthy of future research.