The Street Lawyer has a power/submission plot to it.  The main elements that fit these opposite words are demonstrated with Micheal’s actions and words as he moves through the story.
First Micheal has power in his office while in Drake & Sweeney.  He is able to have a voice with the judges and the power to force more money out of his clients pockets without any question.  He was an invincible lawyer who could not be touched.

Later he becomes the street lawyer.  A very small and insignificant legal firm which has little power in the big firm type courts.  He works for the homeless and poor who have little to none money giving him near nothing to hold them on.  His power is gone and no one listing to the small legal firm that works for the homeless.

Before he left the big firm though he took a file, a file that happened to be a very important file to the Drake & Sweeney legal offices.  This file gives Micheal power over the once powerful firm.  He is able to make almost any deal with them giving him the power that he once had, but more this time.

The big firm has still power though as they are able to use the police to intimidate Micheal and even jail him for a small period of time.  They always rely on that one file that Micheal has to get them 0ut of the mess by giving criminal charges and grand larceny.

The firm once had the power, but has submission to Micheal when he has the file.  Micheal also has power, but he is still a street lawyer making him not to influential in the large court battles.

The title “The Street Lawyer” is true to what happens in the book.  Micheal literary becomes a street lawyer, working for almost minimum wage and enduring the streets of New York.  The title is considered an oxymoron in the sense that you would not think of a lawyer to be on the streets.  A lawyer would be usually in a nice house spending the big bucks as we view it now of days.  Why a lawyer would lower himself to the standards of little pay and dealing with people who have almost no voice in the world is almost unheard of.  That is what gives significance to the title.  How Micheal comes from his big time job and works for the homeless and the people with no money.  He gives voice to the homeless and ends up giving more then a voice, but a chance to become clean and sober again.  Through this street legal clinic he is able to create a way to get the homeless off the streets by using the Drake & Sweeney lawyers.  The title also symbolizes the sacrifice that Micheal makes to serve the homeless.  He sacrifices his big time job, his car, and most of his life for these people, not something you would normally see in a big time lawyer.