In the days of yore, lawyers were generally viewed as a socially “conservative” group not likely to seek attention or say controversial or unkind things in public. Those days are, of course, long gone. Today many lawyers go out of their way to say things that are intended to draw attention and address controversial topics.
Greetings 2018! Time for some ethics trend predictions to kick off the Year of the Dog (according to the Chinese zodiac). Let it be a year in which you doggedly pursue ethical practice (ouch). No more bad puns — here’s what’s hot as we begin the year:
Law firm cyber-security
No surprise here that the
On Tuesday, the ABA House of Delegates amended the Model Rules of Professional Conduct to add a provision barring harassment or discrimination in all conduct related to a lawyer’s practice of law. After months of debate, comment and revision, the revised Resolution 109 passed on a voice vote, without dissenting comment from the floor. The version adopted reflects an amendment introduced last month, which lowered the bar for a finding of misconduct from strict liability to a “knows or should know” standard.
We’ve all been there. Opposing counsel has acted like a jerk throughout your case. But now, counsel has crossed the line with conduct that you think is not merely uncooperative or dilatory, but also unethical.
Thinking of telling your opponent that you’re going to file a complaint with disciplinary authorities about that unethical conduct?
A lawyer made an emotional appeal to a teen mother via Facebook message, begging her not to consent to her baby’s adoption. The lawyer represented the baby’s biological father; the mother was not represented by counsel. The lawyer’s conduct drew harsh criticism and a six-month suspension from practice when the Kansas Supreme Court considered it