Hmm, I think cases do express values. I've worked for a firm that took a lot of low paying criminal defense work and barely broke even most years; taking those

Hmm, I think cases do express values. I've worked for a firm that took a lot of low paying criminal defense work and barely broke even most years; taking those cases defined their values that poor people deserve an effective defense. I've also worked for a firm that helped polluters keep polluting and was very profitable; taking those cases defined their values that profitability matters more than second order effects in selecting clients. Lawyers absolutely express their values by selecting firms to work at and clients to represent. But I agree with your underlying point -- you can't read a lawyer's values from a particular client's values in isolation.