Only a few days remain before the start of the second part of Better Call Saul's final season, and if the latest teaser is anything to go by, there are more surprises to come. In the clip, Jimmy is heard telling a mysterious person to keep off because he no longer considers them his friend.
At the moment, the star lawyer has more than just court cases to worry about but in the previous seasons, the series was more of a legal drama than a drug thriller. Consequently, viewers were introduced to many great lawyers. Some are still a major part of the events while some have seen their stories come to an end. But which are the smartest ones?
Clifford Main
The senior partner at Davis & Main briefly employs Jimmy but is forced to let him go after the protagonist proves difficult to work with. He happens to be good friends with Howard too.
Clifford didn't become a senior partner at a major law firm by accident. He obviously made some wise choices. However, he is often depicted as naive. On many occasions, he has unknowingly been used as a pawn in Jimmy's schemes to discredit Howard. From baby powder that looks like cocaine to the suggestion that Howard is soliciting prostitutes, Clifford ends up believing it all, hence losing trust in a friend that is actually innocent.
Erin Brill
The first-year associate at Davis & Main is given the task of watching over Jimmy when the firm gets the Sandpiper Case. And it doesn't take long for her to clash with him over his unconventional practices.
Erin is a likable character because she values integrity. Unfortunately for her, she is never quick to figure out what Jimmy is up to. It takes Jimmy's confession for her to realize that the argument they had was orchestrated to make sure Sandpiper continued with the class action lawsuit. Additionally, she struggles to adapt stealth tactics while monitoring Jimmy, making it easier for him to duck her from time to time.
Bill Oakley
Bill starts out as one of the most sought-after lawyers before becoming the Deputy DA for Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the first season of the series, Jimmy constantly begs him for better deals for his clients.
Undoubtedly the prettiest of all the lawyers. Bill frustrates Jimmy more than anyone else in the series. However, he isn't exactly wise as he openly expresses his disdain for JImmy, something that could make him a target for Jimmy's schemes. He isn't too keen on details either, and that's why he confuses a drunk driving client with a robbery one, almost recommending the wrong sentence in the process.
Richard Schwelkart
Richard "Rich" Schweikart is introduced as the co-founder of the Schweikart & Cokely law firm. He also represents Sandpiper Crossing during the class-action lawsuit.
Richard has an eye for talent, that's why he is quick to recruit Kim into Schweikart & Cokely. He also respects her enough to let her do her job on her own terms, even going as far as to give her a pass when she messes up during the Merse Verde case. The only thing that taints his image is his failure to outfox Jimmy during the Sandpiper case.
Ernesto
Ernesto works at HHM during the first four seasons and is close to both Jimmy ad Chuck. When Chuck becomes too ill to work, Ernesto is tasked with bringing him supplies on a daily basis.
Ernesto knows better than to simply take sides without finding out the truth first. At the height of the feud between the two brothers, he figures out that Chuck is the unreasonable one. He, therefore, teams up with Jimmy to fool him. Nonetheless, he never shows open disdain for Chuck as he is aware that doing so might make him lose his job.
Paige Novick
The senior counsel for Mesa Verde Bank and Trust is the most trusted advisor in her company. She has known Kim since their time in law school.
The fact that Paige is relied upon to lay out the pathways for such a huge company is proof of how smart she is. Moreover, she is Machiavellian by nature, something that becomes evident when she congratulates Kim for helping Jimmy humiliate Chuck during the hearing with the New Mexico Banking Board. Paige also takes her time to study Howard and Kim, eventually coming to the conclusion that Mesa Verde will be safer with Kim.
Chuck McGill
Jimmy's big brother spends most of his career as a senior partner at Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM) before being forced out. He believes he suffers from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity but it's later revealed that it's all in his head.
Chuck's educational history backs up his intelligence. Having graduated from high school at the age of 14, he was one of the youngest ever people to do so. More impressively, he graduated magna cum laude. But what Chuck lacks is social intelligence. He behaves irrationally on many occasions, going as far as to be harsh towards Jimmy even though Jimmy is taking care of him while sick. Such behavior makes him one of the biggest Better Call Saul villains. His decision to pit himself against Howard makes him lose everything too.
Howard Hamlin
The senior partner at Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM) has a love-hate relationship with Jimmy, Chuck, and Kim. Nonetheless, he is ever professional.
An astute decision-maker, Howard always appears to know what's good for his firm. He is quick to cut off Chuck upon realizing he is becoming irrational. Additionally, he is careful about letting Jimmy climb too high up the leader because he is aware he isn't the cleanest lawyer. Howard is also quick to realize that recent strange happenings in his life aren't misfortunes but are all because of Jimmy's schemes.
Kim Wexler
Kim is one of the most accomplished lawyers on the show, having worked at a number of prestigious law firms in the state. Early in the series, she becomes Jimmy's love interes and goes on to marry him.
Kim knows how to win cases better than most lawyers, and that's why her services are always sought after. Her wisdom extends to her personal life. She knows how to avoid arguments and also knows how to neutralize dangerous situations, best seen when she stands up to Lalo when he confronts her and Jimmy at their apartment. Lately, she has proven to be quite good at playing dirty games. It could be argued that there are a number of Kim Wexler schemes that are better than Jimmy's.
Jimmy McGill
The protagonist, who is also one of the funniest Breaking Bad characters, starts out as a scam artist in Cicero before getting a job as a mail room clerk and later becoming a lawyer. After going independent, he changes his name to Saul Goodman.
The most impressive thing about Jimmy is that he always knows how to rise to the next level. Morphing from a scam artist to a superstar lawyer is a feat that requires brains and not one that many can pull off. Even more commendable is that there is no one he can't fool. Many have fallen victim to his schemes and many will continue to do so.