May Lawyer Allow an App to Access Client Names on a Smartphone?
Cell phones have become an integral part of our lives. This is especially true for lawyers. Whether you are answering a client’s email or conducting a quick Westlaw search, smart …
May A Lawyer Communicate With A Former Employee Of A Represented Organization Without Obtaining The Consent Of The Organization’s Counsel?
Yes, according to a recent State Bar of Georgia advisory opinion. See State Bar of Georgia Formal Advisory Op. 20-1. The advisory ethics opinion provides guidance on the application of …
ABA Issues Formal Opinion Addressing Lawyer Solicitation
The ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has released a formal opinion addressing live, in-person lawyer solicitation. In Formal Opinion 501 (Apr. 13, 2022), the committee seeks to …
New Advisory Opinion on a Lawyer’s Use of Percentage-Based Fees in Representing Succession Representatives
On August 25, 2021, the Rules of Professional Conduct Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association published Public Opinion 21-RPCC-22 providing guidance on a lawyer’s use of a percentage-based fee …
New Advisory Opinion On A Lawyer’s Ethical Obligations When A Colleague is Mentally Impaired
The State Bar of California Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct issued an advisory opinion addressing a lawyer’s ethical obligations when a lawyer or a lawyer in the law …
ABA Formal Opinion: Lawyer Responsible for Communication Barriers in Lawyer-Client Relationship
Clients do not all have the same communication methods as their lawyers. Different languages or hearing, speech, or visual disabilities can all impede a lawyer’s and a client’s ability to …
The Unauthorized Practice of Law and Remote Lawyering
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and advances in technology, more lawyers are working remotely than ever before. This development has given lawyers the flexibility to improve work-life balance. …
New Ethics Opinion Permits Payments to Fact Witnesses
On April 15, 2021, the Maine Professional Ethics Committee issued an advisory opinion on whether a lawyer may pay “a non-expert witness for time spent testifying at a deposition or …
ABA Issues Formal Opinion on Virtual Law Practice
On March 10, 2021, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released Formal Opinion 498 to provide guidance on ethical issues associated with the virtual practice of law. …
ABA Issues Formal Opinion on Conflicts Involving “Materially Adverse” Interests
On February 10, 2021, the American Bar Association released Formal Opinion 497 addressing conflicts involving representation of a current or prospective client with interests that are “materially adverse” to the …