lawyer right-to-counsel
What if a person cannot find a lawyer willing to fight against a powerful party?
<p>Hereafter, for concision, I use the noun <em>`leviathan'</em> to mean a magisterial, mighty party that can retaliate against lawyers. 
I restrict this question to First World countries (e.g., the UK), which I assume can protect lawyers from such leviathans. Suppose:</p>

<ol>
<li>A commoner suffers an injustice at the hands of a leviathan, and wishes to take legal action.</li>
<li>The threat posed by the leviathan, prevents the victim from finding a lawyer willing to represent his case.</li>
</ol>

<p>What can this victim do? Does the law offer or guarantee him any assistance?</p>

<p>There should be no more lawyers in an event such as that described by the OP.  The Legal Profession, by its own constitution, exists to ensure that everybody can access our adversarial justice system through a diligent and competent advocate.</p>

<p>For example, among the <a href="http://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/model_rules_of_professional_conduct_preamble_scope.html">responsibilities stipulated by the American Bar Association</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[A]ll lawyers should devote professional time and resources and use
  civic influence to ensure equal access to our system of justice for
  all those who because of economic or social barriers cannot afford or
  secure adequate legal counsel.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There are famous examples of lawyers, perhaps reluctantly and even at their personal peril, honoring their professional obligation to advocate in court on behalf of unpopular people and causes.  One that comes to mind is John Adams defending the British soldiers who perpetrated the Boston Massacre.</p>

<p>Of course, lawyers are people too so I wouldn't be surprised if there are counterexamples.  But there <em>shouldn't</em> be any counterexamples unless every last lawyer in a jurisdiction resigned his professional membership and hung his head in shame.</p>
