Plausibility check: Lawyer of the Occult

[Rechan]

I'm considering writing some urban fantasy, and what I want to write about is a main character who is not the badass. Not the guy with the kickass powers. He is the Useful Side Character, with a useful but not flashy skillset. Like a precognitive, or someone who is good at information gathering (like Morty the Ectomancer from The Dresden Files). Who... inadvertently gets dragged into the mess.

So I hit on an idea: a lawyer. Think someone who knows the Unseelie Acccords forwards and backwards, who knows the rules and politics that govern within the various Powers' organizations (the rules that faeries abide by among faeries or rules that members of the Red Court abides by within the Red Court).

The wall that I hit is: why would this person be needed?

Take the Accords as an example. If you're a signer (or a representative of the signer), then you don't need a lawyer; you speak for yourself, and you should understand how the Accords pertains to you and what you can do. If you're NOT a signer, then you don't really qualify. And if you're dealing within your own organization, why involve a third party?

Not to mention how much a third party knowing your system could be a threat.

Even if the character serves as a negotiator's role, or has the ability to Bind oaths/deals/agreements (think how the faerie have power over someone who owes them, now apply that to any who seek him out) in a form of agreed-to Geas, I still think that this character would not have a lot of Use in the supernatural world.

Does my idea have merit? Am I not seeing the forest for the trees? How do I make this idea work, or am I right in second guessing it? Help!

[snowbank]

Kelley Armstrong has a lawyer character, Lucas Cortez, who does both human and supernatural law. He's a sorcerer by birth and heir to the strongest Cabal in the the U.S., but he sees the Cabals as evil and represents supes who have legal issues. His wife is a witch.

[Rechan]

Kelley Armstrong has a lawyer character, Lucas Cortez, who does both human and supernatural law. He's a sorcerer by birth and heir to the strongest Cabal in the the U.S., but he sees the Cabals as evil and represents supes who have legal issues. His wife is a witch.

I read the first story of that. Although I think he just deals with Cabal law, right?

The supernatural entities with legal issues, are they normal or supernatural law issues?

I really do like how the DF handles things, but as far as Law goes there, it's more like international law, with each Power being a nation unto itself. The Unseelie Accords are just basically treaties. So not a lot of room. So a body of Law governing the supernatural world beyond that... I don't know. That's bringing a lot of different things into it. A difference that might Hamper badasses going to town on each other.

[snowbank]

I think it would depend on how your society was set up. If the laws were respected, or if might made right. In Armstrong's world, the supernatural society generally functions similarly to the human society. In a less structured environment, well, a bigger gun is a good argument also. 

[Rechan]

I think it would depend on how your society was set up. If the laws were respected, or if might made right. In Armstrong's world, the supernatural society generally functions similarly to the human society. In a less structured environment, well, a bigger gun is a good argument also. 

In this case I'm thinking it's somewhere in the middle.

In all honesty I have no idea what I'm writing. As said, it just struck me as an interesting character - especially as one who operates as a side character, even if he's the main. I just know nothing about law. Or even the setting at this stage.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I think the reason why a major supernatural power would need a lawyer is pretty much the same as why a major mundane CEO would need a lawyer; specialised technical knowledge of different complexities in different expert fields.

I don't see any inherent reason why Dark Lord Random Example who is a thousand years old and has spent most of that time studying dark magic is necessarily going to have the time or the temperament to be a legal whiz.

[Landing]

It sounds like a good idea, it is something just from looking at your post I would be interested in reading if it was a book. I have always liked supernatural world where the political landscape is realistically built up.

[snowbank]

Charlaine Harris also has a lawyer character, he appears infrequently but I think the way the Fae is handled is more similar to TDF. The lawyer character works for the vampires, but the Fae are also occasionally involved in human/shifter/vampire actions.

Have you read the Southern Vampire books?

[Starbeam]

I could be getting mixed up, but I believe the lawyer in the Southern vampire books is a demon.  Also, the Kitty Norville books has a lawyer character, I think introduced in the second or third book, and eventually becomes a more central character.

[MoSeS]

At first when I read the idea I thought of Marcone, he is getting to know "the Unseelie Acccords forwards and backwards", yet he isn't one of the magical beings.

However he is significantly a different archetype from the pseudo sidekick type you mention. However there are certain semi-political parties already in play in fantasy like Dresden Files. The Merlin is basically a judge, the rest of the council is like a jury, and usually the defendant's represent themselves unless another wizard steps in to assist.

Basically there isn't much use for a lawyer character unless the lawyer has significant ability to actually protect your rights, however that is kind of already covered by Lea in DF.

In addition Peabody sort of played the lawyer type, I don't think it's uncommon for a lawyer to be involved in the finances and treasury of an organization.

However these are all still not the character type you describe, I think this lawyer character sounds like he would be somewhere on the same level as Vince the

(click to show/hide)

private eye that Harry hires

.

Then there is also BOB the Skull, I feel that he also provides much "legal advice" for Harry.

So in Dresden between Bob, McCoy, Rashid, Lea, Marcone, etc. I think Dresden has all his bases pretty much covered.

But I definitely think in a different story that your character would be very neccessary.

Kind of a Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson set-up it sounds like would work.

[Aludra]

I could be getting mixed up, but I believe the lawyer in the Southern vampire books is a demon.

You're not mixed up, but the lawyer is a fairy.  The Harris 'verse has plenty of text that alludes to the mechanics of fairies without spelling it out.  But basically a fairy can choose to be good (angelic) or bad (demonic) and implies that after a certain amount of time either becomes/behaves as a real angel or a real demon.  It also implies that Sookie is a trial run

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for her cousin-fairy to become a guardian angel 'full-time'

.  Again, Harris doesn't spell it out, but you can call the Lawyer either a fairy or a demon and still be correct.

Sorry MoSeS.  I didn't think it was a big enough plot point to spoiler, but my opinion isn't a good enough reason not to spoiler it.

[MoSeS]

NOOOOOOOO! SPOILER ALERT Aludra .... I watch True Blood show but never read the books. Noooooo!!!!!

I just kind of glanced though and then looked away when I realized what I was reading, maybe I can forget it.  

[snowbank]

NOOOOOOOO! SPOILER ALERT Aludra .... I watch True Blood show but never read the books. Noooooo!!!!!

I just kind of glanced though and then looked away when I realized what I was reading, maybe I can forget it.  

Moses, the tv show is so very far from the books they are like different worlds with people who coincidentally have the same names. I think both are wonderful, but different. (Godric as Eric's maker made my head explode, but then so did Jason joining the Fellowship of the Sun.)

Star, I knew Mr. Cattaliades wasn't human, but wasn't sure exactly what flavor he was. Rechan didn't specify her proposed character's species.

[Starbeam]

Moses, the tv show is so very far from the books they are like different worlds with people who coincidentally have the same names. I think both are wonderful, but different. (Godric as Eric's maker made my head explode, but then so did Jason joining the Fellowship of the Sun.)

Star, I knew Mr. Cattaliades wasn't human, but wasn't sure exactly what flavor he was. Rechan didn't specify her proposed character's species.

Ditto this about the show. 

As far as the character, without having to go look it up, I think Sookie refers to him as demon.  And I'm just being lazy in not wanting to reach over and pull out my Kindle to search.

[MoSeS]

Well what if I want to read the books.   Which I just might...........

It's cool, I had already heard that the TV show was significantly different.

I love the show, for me it's probably in my top ten TV shows of all time.

Ofcourse I don't watch that many shows, but I like stuff like:
Rome, Nip/Tuck, Heroes, Supernatural, Charmed, Highlander
that's almost the extent of shows I have watched from start to finish
(besides a couple comedies Arrested Developement, It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia)