Rob a Bank, Shoot a Trooper, Get Disbarred
No surprise here: In re Warren Jan Gladders, No. M.R. 27194 (Ill. 2015).
Is it Unethical to Call Another Lawyer Unethical?
This Iowa State Bar Association addressed this question in a recent ethics opinion. See Iowa Ethics Op. 14-02 (Oct. 24, 2014).1 The committee noted that making unfounded allegations of misconduct is …
Can a Lawyer Respond to a Client’s On-Line Criticism?
Two recent bar association advisory opinions address whether a lawyer can disclose confidential information when responding to a client’s on-line criticism. See New York State Bar Assoc. Ethics Op. 1032 (Oct. 30, …
Should Louisiana’s Labyrinthian Lawyer Advertising Rules be Junked?
In 2008, the Louisiana Supreme Court adopted some of the most complex and indecipherable advertising rules in the country. Have these rules, which were the subject of costly federal litigation …
Should a Lawyer Who Uses Racially-Offensive Language be Subject to Discipline?
At least two complaints lodged with the Louisiana Office of Disciplinary over the last few months allege misconduct arising out of lawyers’ use of the “N-word” or some variation of …
When Is “Blogging” By a Lawyer Subject to the Rules of Professional Conduct?
Under what circumstances is “blogging” by a lawyer subject to the requirements and restrictions of the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct? A recent formal opinion by the California State Bar Standing …
New 2015 Edition of Louisiana Legal Ethics Book Now Available at Amazon.com
More than 2,900 complaints were filed against Louisiana lawyers in 2014. Many of these complaints were caused by simple mistakes and innocent misunderstandings about what the rules of conduct require. If …
December 2014 Discipline
These Louisiana lawyers were the subject of Louisiana Supreme Court disciplinary orders or Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board recommendations made public during the month of December 2014. Louisiana Supreme Court Jarrett P. …
Top Ten National Legal Ethics Stories of 2014
In its annual post, Legal Ethics Forum has collected the top ten legal ethics stories of 2014. Among the ten are the following: Waivers of ineffective assistance of counsel held unethical. DAs …
“Of Counsel” Lawyers Are Associated With Law Firm for Purposes of Conflicts
A law firm can designate one or more lawyers as having an “Of Counsel” relationship with the firm. While the use of the term can vary from firm to firm, …