Philadelphia lawyer

先週から地名（国名）が含まれる興味深い表現を取り上げていますが、今日取り上げるのは、


Philadelphia lawyer


という表現です。

ご存知のように、Philadelphiaは米国北東部の州です。フィラデルフィアの弁護士（法律家）ということになりますが、いわゆる敏腕弁護士の代名詞としてこの表現は定着しているものです。


A once-prominent Philadelphia lawyer has been disbarred by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after failing to respond to professional and ethical complaints.
(Pa. Supreme Court disbars Philadelphia lawyer Willie Lee Nattiel Jr. Philly.com. February 1, 2015.)


褒め言葉というものは時に逆説的に働くものですが、"Philadelphia lawyer"についても反語的に、つまり軽蔑する意味で使われることもあるようです。


A POLITICALLY active group of legal eagles called themselves trial lawyers; advocates of tort reform prefer to derogate them as the contingency-fee crowd. Others, stopping short of the meanspirited shyster (rooted in German scatology), blow them off as Philadelphia lawyers.
(William Safire. Philadelphia Lawyers. New York Times. October 13, 1996.)