Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons^™

Lawyers As Caregivers, Paula Schaefer

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

This Article argues that clients—much like patients in a healthcare setting—need their lawyers to be caregivers. The Article opens by developing a definition of caregiving in medicine and law. It then turns to five key components of caregiving in medicine, explaining the substantial research that this care is crucial for patient satisfaction, trust, and healing. Medical educators have drawn on this research to better prepare medical professionals to be excellent caregivers. The Article then explores the evidence that an attorney’s clients have the same needs and suffer similar harm when attorneys fail to meet these needs. Next, the Article turns …

Confidential Settlements For Professional Malpractice, Sande L. Buhai

St. John's Law Review

(Excerpt)

A lawyer representing a plaintiff in a professional malpractice case advises her client not to file a complaint with the state regulatory body—the state bar, the medical board, or some other pertinent body—until later. The lawyer explains that she can offer to settle the case more favorably, more quickly, and at lower cost if they promise that, as part of the settlement, defendant’s malfeasance will never be reported to the state regulatory body responsible for ensuring professional competence in the area. This tactic may allow the client to negotiate a larger settlement because the defendant should be willing to …

Punishing The Victim: Model Rule 1.16(A)(2) And Its Relation To Lawyers With Anxiety, Depression, And Bipolar Disorder, Daniel G. Esquivel

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

Abstract forthcoming.

Rules Versus Standards: A Moral Inquiry Into Washington's Character & Fitness Hearing Process, Jennifer Aronson

Washington Law Review

Historically, moral character inquiries within the state bar admission process have led to the exclusion of diverse and important voices from the legal profession, both consequentially and at times by design. Washington does not keep statistics on the race, ethnicity, gender, or economic class of bar applicants who are referred to character and fitness hearings, nor on the outcomes of those hearings. Examining how implicit bias and disparate outcomes interact in other areas of discretionary adjudicative decision-making illustrates the potential impact that the character and fitness process has on underrepresented communities in the legal profession.

In a criminal justice reform …

2011 Inamori Ethics Prize Speech: Democracy And Freedom Under Law: The Obligations Of Lawyers, Beatrice Mtetwa

The International Journal of Ethical Leadership

transcript

Our Criminal Justice System Is A Bear Trap, Frederick K. Brewington

Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity

No abstract provided.

Book Review Essay: Jewish And American Law: A Comparative Study. (Vols. 1 And 2) By Samuel J. Levine, Marie A. Failinger

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Whose Public Interest Is It Anyway?: Advice For Altruistic Young Lawyers, Patricia M. Wald

Maine Law Review

The Third Annual Frank M. Coffin Lecture on Law and Public Service was held on September 28, 1994. The Honorable Patricia M. Wald, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, presented “Whose Public Interest Is It Anyway?: Advice for Altruistic Young Lawyers.”

Towering Figures, Enigmas, And Responsive Communities In American Legal Ethics, Thomas L. Shaffer

Maine Law Review

The Annual Edward S. Godfrey Lecture at the University of Maine School of Law was held on November 12, 1998. Professor Thomas L. Shaffer, Edward S. Godfry Professor of Law, presented “Towering Figures, Enigmas, and Responsive Communities in American Legal Ethics.”

In Pursuit Of The Public Good: Lawyers Who Care, Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Maine Law Review

The Eighth Annual Frank M. Coffin Lecture on Law and Public Service was held on November 22, 1999. The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, delivered the lecture. Established in 1992, the lecture honors Judge Frank M. Coffin, Senior Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and long-time friend of the University of Maine School of Law.

Alternative Business Structures: Good For The Public, Good For The Lawyers, Jayne R. Reardon

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

There has been a shift in consumer behavior over the last several decades. To keep up with the transforming consumer, many professions have changed the way they do business. Yet lawyers continue to deliver services the way they have since the founding of our country. Bar associations and legal ethicists have long debated the idea of allowing lawyers to practice in “alternative business structures,” where lawyers and nonlawyers can co-own and co-manage a business to deliver legal services. This Article argues these types of businesses inhibit lawyers’ ability to provide better legal services to the public and that the legal …

Incentivizing Lawyers To Play Nice: A National Survey Of Civility Standards And Options For Enforcement, Cheryl B. Preston, Hilary Lawrence

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

In the last decade, most commentators assume that lawyers’ behavior is now diving to new lows, notwithstanding a flurry of professionalism and civility creeds adopted in the 1980s and 1990s. Proponents of making such creeds enforceable argue that a return to professionalism may improve lawyers’ well-being, restore the public’s confidence in lawyers, and raise the expectations of behavior, not only with respect to civility but also with respect to violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct (hereinafter, as adapted in various jurisdictions, the Rules of Professional Conduct or the Model Rules)

Paternalistic Interventions In Civil Rights And Poverty Law: A Case Study Of Environmental Justice, Anthony V. Alfieri

Michigan Law Review

Low-income communities of color in Miami and in cities across the nation both share aspirations of equal justice and democratic participation and suffer the burdens of legal underrepresentation and political disenfranchisement. Such burdens become crippling when, as in Miami, local legal aid offices, public interest organizations, and bar associations lack the resources to provide meaningful private access to justice or to muster significant public engagement in the political process. These burdens become especially crippling when, again as in Miami, local and state governments adopt policies that engender inner-city neglect, economic displacement, and racial exclusion. In these circumstances, volunteer lawyers from …

A Professional (Lack Of) Courtesy: The Emergence Of Expert Testimony In Legal And Medical Malpractice Cases., Jeffrey I.H. Soffer

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

This Article investigates the role of expert testimony in legal malpractice and medical malpractice cases; analyzing similarities and differences between the two and the evolution of case law in this context. The Article also examines numerous challenges potential expert witnesses face, including harsh backlash from their colleagues and repercussions from their professional organizations. Finally, the Article discusses the future of the legal malpractice and medical malpractice landscape as it pertains to expert testimony and what we should look for moving forward.

Two Lawyers, One Client, And The Duty To Communicate: A Gap In Rules 1.2 And 1.4, Stephen C. Sieberson

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “There may have been a day in which most American legal matters involved one client and one lawyer, but that day has surely passed. People today travel widely, businesses sell their goods and services across the country, and activity of all sorts—both legal and illegal—can be carried out in cyberspace. In such a society the laws of multiple jurisdictions can be relevant to the broad range of client circumstances. At the same time, legal issues have become increasingly complex, forcing lawyers to make referrals to outside specialists. In addition, some transactions or litigation matters may simply be too large …

Evaluation Of Judicial Performance: A Tool For Self-Improvement, Richard L. Aynes

Pepperdine Law Review

The quality of our judicial system, like other institutions, is a function of the work performed by those who are afforded major roles in the dispensation of justice. Unmistakably. judges, jurors and lawyers assume key roles in this process. Professor Aynes, who is a member of the A.B.A.'s Evaluation of Judicial Performance Committee, recognizes that both judges and lawyers, unlike jurors, are professionals expected to bring more to the bench than honesty, good faith and diligence. The author observes that while efforts to improve the daily performance of attorneys have been well under way since the early 1970's, it i …

The Limited Power Of The Bar To Protect Its Monopoly., Zachary C. Zurek

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

The weaknesses within unauthorized practice of law (UPL) laws, coupled with shaky and fragmented enforcement, allow nonlawyers to perform activities that are otherwise characterized as the practice of law. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), non-lawyers representing individuals in administrative settings, legal document preparation services, and other non-lawyers offering detailed legal advice pose serious threats to the bar and the individuals they serve. Uniformed standards of liability, ethics, and certification should be developed to ensure a balanced group of practitioners is available to the public. Pulling nonlawyers into the realm of liability for breach of professional responsibility would result in a higher …

The Mindful Law School: An Integrative Approach To Transforming Legal Education, Scott L. Rogers

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Talent Agencies Act: Reconciling The Controversies Surrounding Lawyers, Managers, And Agents Participating In California's Entertainment Industry, Gary E. Devlin

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Fiduciary Duties And Exculpatory Clauses: Clash Of The Titans Or Cozy Bedfellows, Louise Lark Hill

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Centuries ago, when land represented the majority of wealth, the trust was used primarily for holding and transferring real property. As the dominant form of wealth moved away from family land, the trust evolved into a device for managing financial assets. With this transformation came the use of exculpatory clauses by both amateur and professional trustees, providing an avenue for these fiduciaries to escape liability for designated acts. With the use of exculpatory provisions, discussion abounded about whether fiduciary duties were mandatory or subject to modification. The latter view eventually prevailed, with the majority of jurisdictions viewing fiduciary duties as …

Reform That Understands Our Seniors: How Interdisciplinary Services Can Help Solve The Capacity Riddle In Elder Law, Thomas Richard Stasi

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Note suggests an interdisciplinary approach to assist in determinations of legal capacity. It also urges an amendment to the Model Rules and current law firm business models, so attorneys can better approach capacity challenges. While this Note does not presume to resolve the problems faced by capacity determinations, the purpose is to offer functional alternatives to the current working models. Part I reviews the Model Rules' treatment of capacity issues, detailing attorneys' conflicting ethical duties and the ambiguous methodology for capacity evaluations. Part II examines the customary processes that attorneys presently follow for seeking diagnostic evaluations and highlights their …

Christian Service In The Practice Of Law, Kenneth W. Starr

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Lawyering: A Closer Look At An Emerging Practice, William H. Schwab

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

A critical analysis of collaborative law (CL) is only now beginning, and should be based on actual, not hypothetical information about the practice and its impact on clients as courts, the bar, and the public begin to digest the idea of CL. This Article intends to present a more comprehensive picture of collaborative practice than is currently available, to better inform the ongoing conversation about what role CL will play in the legal system. Toward that end, the following sketches some basic questions about CL, and provides some preliminary answers. Part I recounts the origin of CL and introduces the …

Collaborative Family Law, Pauline H. Tesler

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Collaborative Law appears to meet significant needs both among family law clients and among the lawyers who assist them through divorce. As will be discussed more fully below, clients appear to want the advantages of a contained, settlement-oriented, creative, private, respectful process without sacrificing the benefits of having a committed legal advocate at their sides. For that reason Collaborative Law appeals to clients who may hesitate to commit to a dispute resolution process facilitated solely by a neutral mediator. And, while many family lawyers suffer considerable professional angst as a consequence of their awareness that family law courts are neither …

The Narrative Approach To Mediation, Toran Hansen

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Narrative Mediation is an approach and methodology that can offer mediators an innovative way to handle conflict intervention. It is important to note that "it is not a model that can be ransacked for techniques without damaging the intent and process it requires.. .because the foundational view is vastly different [from other approaches]." It may, however, particularly appeal to mediators with a postmodernist theoretical bent who prefer to work with the accounts of parties in conflict rather than attempting to get at "the truth" because they recognize that any truth brings with it implicit bias. The explicit role of mediator …

Defining The Ethical Limits Of Acceptable Deception In Mediation, John W. Cooley

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In a recent law review article I authored for the Loyola University of Chicago Law Review, Mediation Magic: Its Use and Abuse, I addressed the perplexing problem of the current lack of ethical guidance available to mediators and mediation advocates on the question of permissible uses of deception in mediation generally and in caucused mediation, in particular. This article is a sequel to that publication, offering the reader a condensation of some of the ideas contained in that article and some additional thoughts on criteria that might be appropriate to consider when designing a truthfulness standard for mediation.

The Neutral As Lie Detector: You Can't Judge Participants By Their Demeanor, Bruce Fraser

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

As mediators we are often faced with sharply conflicting stories. One of the advantages of mediation is that we sometimes can solve the underlying problem without determining who did what, to whom, and when. Indeed, experience has shown that mediation is not a good process for finding the truth because it has none of the tools (such as testimony under oath) used for this purpose in the judicial system. Still, mediators often spend a good deal of time and effort trying to determine who is telling the truth.

The Truth About Deception In Mediation, Jeffrey Krivis

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Now that the court system has institutionalized the use of mediation in virtually all civil proceedings, trial lawyers are paying closer attention to their negotiation skills. While those skills involve less structured behavior than presenting a case to a jury, they nonetheless involve one common strategy that even the most skilled practitioners refuse to acknowledge: deception.

Lawyers, Faith, And Peacemaking: Jewish Perspectives Of Peace, Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

We can only consider the role of peacemaking in Jewish law after examining the meaning and place of peace. Accuracy prevents me from opening with some platitude about how peace occupies a central, pivotal position in Jewish thought. It doesn't. Peace and peacemaking have a curious habit of not turning up in the middle of things, but all the way at the end. There are too many instances of this to be coincidental. There are nineteen blessings in the Amidah, the central (indeed!) prayer that Jews recite three times a day, every weekday of their lives. The very last …

The Negotiator-As-Professional: Understanding The Competing Interests Of A Representative Negotiator, Trevor C. W. Farrow

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article is about lawyers as negotiators, and in particular, it is about identifying and understanding the influential and potentially competing interests that are - or at least should be - in the minds of lawyers (and potentially other third party representatives) during the overall negotiation process. While there continues to be an increasing amount of literature on the mechanics and strategies of negotiation, the underlying interests that are typically at stake in representative negotiations from the perspective of representatives - particularly negotiations involving lawyers - have not been adequately studied. And until all interests are identified and placed squarely …