"Defense Strategies and Ethical Considerations
It's your attorney's job to develop a defense strategy, not to judge you. Defense attorneys are ethically bound to zealously represent all clients, those whom they think will be justly found guilty as well as those whom they think are factually innocent. A vigorous defense is necessary to protect the innocent and to ensure that judges and citizens—and not the police—have the ultimate power to decide who is guilty of a crime.In truth, the defense lawyer almost never really knows whether the defendant is guilty of a charged crime. Just because the defendant says he did it doesn't make it so. The defendant may be lying to take the rap for someone he wants to protect. Or the defendant might be guilty but of a different and lesser crime than the one being prosecuted by the district attorney. A defendant may have done the act in question but have a valid defense that would exonerate him. For these reasons, among others, defense lawyers often do not ask their clients if they committed the crime. Instead, the lawyer uses the facts to put on the best defense possible and leaves the question of guilt to the judge or jury.
What defense attorneys cannot do is lie to the judge or jury. For instance, a lawyer cannot specifically state that the defendant did not do something the lawyer knows the defendant did do. The lawyer also can't admit guilt against the client's wishes. Instead, the defense lawyer will focus their trial tactics and arguments on the government's failure to prove all the elements of the crime."
From NOLO.
![www.nolo.com](/forums/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nolo.com%2Ffiles%2Flogo%2Fnolo-logo-OG.png&hash=527c83a2c20808665d09b3c706971638&return_error=1)
Representing a Client the Lawyer Thinks Is Guilty
Does it matter if your lawyer thinks you committed the crime? It shouldn't.
![www.nolo.com](/forums/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nolo.com%2Fthemes%2Fdefault%2Ffavicon%2Ffavicon-32x32.png&hash=70af8fcfd2e95cc85fd71fedca9c4445&return_error=1)
So, I think AT is doing a good job.