The ABA Would Like a Word With Your Inner Monologue
Most lawyers know the drill when a representation ends: hand over the file, return any unearned fees, don’t drag your feet. But what happens when the former client or their …
Fees Aren’t the Only Thing Clients Owe You: ABA Formal Opinion 523
We write often about the importance of the details in engagement agreements and how they can protect lawyers and their clients down the road. The best engagement agreements are detailed, …
ABA Amends Model Rule 1.14. Will Louisiana Follow?
At its February 2026 midyear meeting in San Antonio, the ABA House of Delegates adopted significant revisions to Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.14, the rule governing representation of clients …
Navigating Ethical Challenges When Representing Organizations and Key Takeaways from ABA Formal Opinion 514
Practical Tips for Lawyers Representing Organizations: Insights from ABA Formal Opinion 514 When advising organizations, lawyers face the unique challenge of ensuring their advice is understood as intended for the …
ABA Publishes Guidance on Office Sharing Arrangements With Other Lawyers
On July 12, 2023, the American Bar Association published Formal Opinion 507 providing guidance on office sharing arrangements with other lawyers. See ABA Formal Op. 507 (July 12, 2023). Many …
ABA Issues Opinion on Model Rule 8.5: Choice of Law
On March 1, 2023, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility Issued Formal Opinion 504 addressing ABA Model Rule 8.5, which provides for disciplinary authority and choice of …
ABA Issues Opinion on “Reply to All” in Electronic Communications
On November 2, 2022, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 503 addressing a lawyer’s use of “Reply to All” in email communications. See ABA …
Professional Responsibility Lawyers Recommend Revisions to Permit the Multijurisdictional Practice of Law
In April of 2022, the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (“APRL”) recommended changes to the unauthorized practice of law provisions of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. See APRL, …
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 …
ABA Calls for Comments on Proposed Amendments to Rules Concerning Lawyers’ Due Diligence Obligations
The ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has called for comments on possible amendments to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct concerning lawyers’ client due diligence obligations. See …