Digital Commons Network^™

If One Is Good, Two Must Be Better: A Comparison Of The Texas Standards For Appellate Conduct And The Texas Disciplinary Rules Of Professional Conduct., Edward L. Wilkinson

St. Mary's Law Journal

The Supreme Court of Texas and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals adopted the Standards for Appellate Conduct (Standards) on February 1, 1999. The Standards are intended to “give practitioners a valuable tool to use with clients who demand unprofessional conduct” by imposing “an affirmative duty to educate the client about the Standards of Appellate Conduct.” The Standards further state they do not “alter existing standards of conduct under the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, or the Code of Judicial Conduct.” Under the Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, sanctionable conduct includes “acts or omissions…which violate one or more of the Texas …

Ethical Issues Associated With Multidisciplinary Practices In Texas., Michael Kelly

St. Mary's Law Journal

In 2000, the American Bar Association House of Delegates voted to uphold the ban on multidisciplinary practices (MDPs) set out in Rule 5.4 of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct (Model Rules). In 2009, the ABA announced the creation of the Ethics 20/20 Commission to review the Model Rules in the context of globalization. The Commission announced it was looking into alternative business structures, including MDPs. In an MDP a client can seek the advice of several professionals with experience in different disciplines working in a single business. Under Rule 5.4, a lawyer is prohibited from sharing legal fees with …

Colorado Legal Ethics: Guide To Resources, Robert M. Linz

Publications

No abstract provided.

Returning To New Orleans: Reflections On The Post-Katrina Recovery, Disaster Relief, And The Struggle For Social Justice, Susan L. Waysdorf

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Editor-In-Chief, John Brian White

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ten Years After Burrow V. Arce: The Current State Of Attorney Fee Forfeiture., Jeffrey A. Webb, Blake W. Stribling

St. Mary's Law Journal

“Extreme [attorney] misconduct may warrant an extreme remedy.” Fee forfeiture certainly constitutes an extreme remedy, at least compared to the ordinary remedy for violation of a legal duty. But neither the degree to which the remedy is extreme nor how extreme the misconduct must first be before the forfeiture becomes appropriate is apparent in light of the Texas Supreme Court’s decision in Burrow v. Arce. Understanding the confusion which has arisen with regard to Burrow’s impact depends in large measure on a thorough evaluation of (1) the basis for the court’s determinations relating to forfeiture, (2) the sources from which …

Professional Malpractice In A World Of Amateurs., Thomas D. Morgan

St. Mary's Law Journal

Clients experience the speed at which the world changes, both technologically and socially. They expect lawyers to keep pace. The technology which permits lawyers to deliver legal services faster also chains lawyers to their electronic devices. This technology has also led to a growing market of those who promise to do the same work faster, better, and cheaper. Such developments will ultimately affect how lawyers view professional malpractice or the way the industry understands “competence and diligence normally exercised by lawyers.” The malpractice question becomes: to what standard of care and competence should such “amateur” lawyers be held? The legal …

Could Government Speech Endorsing A Higher Law Resolve The Establishment Clause Crisis., Bruce Ledewitz

St. Mary's Law Journal

The Establishment Clause crisis exists due to the Supreme Court’s promise that America would have a secular government—meaning one which was neutral between religion and irreligion, as well as being neutral to all religions. This promise evolved pursuant to the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Establishment Clause. Nevertheless, the commitment to neutrality was never carried to fulfillment by the Court. The crisis may be illustrated by Congress’ addition of the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. This addition seemed to violate the promise of neutrality made by the Supreme Court in Everson v. Board of Education …

Loyalty In Limbo: The Peculiar Case Of Attorneys' Loyalty To Clients., Eli Wald

St. Mary's Law Journal

Attorney loyalty to clients is considered a cornerstone of the attorney-client relationship. Yet, loyalty is underexplored, misunderstood, and the subject of heated discord. Advocates of client-centered loyalty and their opponents both fail to provide a compelling accounting of loyalty to clients and its consequences. Leaving loyalty in limbo is an unacceptable state of affairs. The legal profession bears the continuous burden of accounting for its own practices. Because the Bar cannot assert broad client-centered loyalty as self-explanatory, the burden of disproving loyalty shifts to the critics. Critics of broad loyalty to clients are not helping advance the discourse by advocating …

Letting Good Deeds Go Unpunished: Volunteer Immunity Laws And Tort Deterrence, Jill R. Horwitz, Joseph Mead

Articles

Does tort law deter risky behavior in individuals? We explore this question by examining the relationship between tort immunity and volunteering. During the 1980s and 1990s, nearly every state provided some degree of volunteer immunity. Congress followed with the 1997 Volunteer Protection Act. This article analyzes these acts, identifying three motivations for them: the chilling effects of tort liability, limits on liability insurance, and moral concerns. Using data from the Independent Survey’s Giving and Volunteering surveys, we then identify a large and positive correlation between immunity and volunteering. We next consider the implications of the findings for tort theory and …

The History Of The New York City Law Department: Fighting For The City By William E. Nelson, Ross Sandler

Articles & Chapters

No abstract provided.

Proof Brief Of Professors Of Family Law And Jurisprudence As Amici Curiae In Support Of Plaintiff-Appellee, Joseph M. Barron, Richard T. Greenberg, Shannon Price Minter, Carlos A. Ball, Naomi Cahn, June Carbone, Ann Laquer Estin, Joan Heifetz Hollinger, Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Sarah H. Ramsey, Michael S. Wald

Faculty Scholarship

The plaintiffs in this case met their burden of demonstrating the irrationality of Iowa’s statutory exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage. They did this, in part, by presenting social science research regarding the irrelevance of sexual orientation to parental ability and the psychological and social well-being of children raised by same-sex parents. In addition to arguing that the marriage exclusion is irrational, the plaintiffs also alleged that the exclusion should be subject to heightened scrutiny because it violates the fundamental right to marry and discriminates on the bases of gender and sexual orientation. Amici agree that the exclusion of same-sex …

An Analysis Of The Contraction Of Limited Tort Immunity For Recreational Liability In Illinois, 42 J. Marshall L. Rev. 65 (2008), Barnett P. Ruttenberg, Thomas Gianturco

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Coming Soon To A Law Practice Near You: The New (And Improved?) Illinois Rules Of Professional Conduct, 39 Loy. U. Chi. L.J. 691 (2008), Alberto Bernabe

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Loose Lips Sink Attorney-Client Ships: Unintended Technological Disclosure Of Confidential Communications Essay., Bill Piatt, Paula Dewitte

St. Mary's Law Journal

In general, attorneys must not reveal confidential information relating to the representation of their clients. Attorneys must make reasonable efforts to ensure the attorneys they supervise, as well as their nonlawyer employees, maintain client confidences. In modern days, technology virtually guarantees attorneys and clients will communicate electronically. While most attorneys would not knowingly disclose client confidences, there is a growing problem of unintended disclosure through electronic means. On a practical level, maintaining confidence is of utmost importance to both attorneys and clients. Attorneys may believe they are using good faith and competent, reasonable actions to protect their clients’ information from …

Assault Upon The Citadel Of Privity: The Coexistence Of Strict, Privity And Belt V. Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison & (And) Tate, Inc. Comment., C. John Muller Iv

St. Mary's Law Journal

The practicing attorney must have a complete understanding of legal malpractice liability. Managing this risk can be a precarious responsibility when the law is not clearly defined. This is compounded by the steady erosion of attorney-client privity barriers making it easier for third party non-clients to sue lawyers for legal malpractice. This is the current state of matters in Texas since the Texas Supreme Court decided Belt v. Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison & Tate, Inc. on May 5, 2006. The Belt court determined personal representatives of an estate may bring a malpractice claim against the decedent’s attorneys. The Belt court was …

Fulfilling Your Professional Responsibilities: Representing A Deaf Client In Texas Recent Development., Matthew S. Compton

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

On The Trail To Increased Client Protection: Attorney Contingent Fee Contract Termination In Light Of Hoover V. Walton Recent Development., Tiffanie S. Clausewitz

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Delivering User-Centric Services At The Colorado Supreme Court Library, Robert M. Linz

Publications

No abstract provided.

In Defense Of The Indian Child Welfare Act In Aggravated Circumstances, C. Eric Davis

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) affords various protections to Indian families throughout child welfare proceedings. Among them is the duty imposed upon the state to provide rehabilitative services to families prior to the outplacement of an Indian child, or termination of parental rights. An analogous provision for non-Indians in the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) excuses rehabilitative services in "aggravated circumstances" of child abuse. The ICWA contains no such exception, and that absence has been controversial. In 2002, the Alaska Supreme Court applied ASFA's aggravated circumstances exception to the ICWA, thereby excusing services when a father severely abused …

The Upc Authorizes Notarized Wills, Lawrence W. Waggoner

Articles

This article reports on a 2008 amendment to the Uniform Probate Code that permits notarization as a method of will execution.

Domestic Violence And The Workplace: The Explosion Of State Legislation And The Need For A Comprehensive Strategy, Deborah A. Widiss

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In recent years, domestic violence legislation has migrated out of its traditional locus in family law and criminal law to include a rapidly growing body of employment law. The new laws respond to a relatively simple problem: Economic security is one of the most important factors in whether a victim of domestic violence will be able to separate from an abusive partner, but domestic violence often interferes with victims' ability to maintain jobs, thus causing job loss that further traps victims in abusive relationships. By providing supports to victims and empowering employers to take direct legal action against perpetrators of …

Local Government Law, R. Perry Sentell

Mercer Law Review

This particular [City Commission] meeting had drawn on for quite some time, until it was getting fairly late. We heard someone knocking very rapidly on the plate glass window. As I turned around, I observed an elderly woman, the wife of the Mayor. The Mayor appeared to ignore his wife and continued to conduct the meeting. Not getting any response from her knocking, the wife then walked into the building, grabbed the Mayor by the arm, and scolded him that it was ridiculous that the City Commission was meeting so late at night. "You," she informed the Mayor, "are going …

Why Children Still Need A Lawyer, Marcia Robinson Lowry, Sara Bartosz

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Every day approximately 500,000 children across the United States wake up in foster care, most in foster family homes, though many others in group homes and institutions. These children entered the state foster care system as innocent victims of abuse or neglect occurring in their birth homes. As wards of the state, they depend completely on the government to provide for their essential safety and wellbeing and to reconnect them with a permanent family, hopefully their own.

Though state child welfare agencies possess fundamental legal obligations under the United States Constitution and federal and state statutes to provide adequate care …

Love You Madly: The Life And Times Of The Neighborhood Legal Services Program Of Washington, D.C., Brian Gilmore

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

This article is a brief historical examination of the origins of the Neighborhood Legal Services Program and an analysis of the work of the program as a federally-funded legal services program for forty years. Part I of this article examines the history of the program in the early years and the birth of the "neighborhood" concept in legal services. Part II analyzes the key precedent-setting housing cases the program litigated in the 1960's and 1970's. Part III addresses the criticisms of the program and reviews legal services in general. For instance, almost immediately from its inception, the idea of neighborhood-based …

Introduction: Legal Developments In The Law In The District Of Columbia, Katherine S. Broderick

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Surfing Past The Pall Of Orthodoxy: Why The First Amendment Virtually Guarantees Online Law School Graduates Will Breach The Aba Accreditation Barrier, Nicholas C. Dranias

ExpressO

The impact of the constitutional dilemma created by the ABA’s aversion to Internet schooling is widespread. Currently, 18 states and 2 U.S. territories restrict bar exam eligibility to graduates of ABA-accredited law schools. Additionally, 29 states and 1 U.S. territory restrict admission to practice on motion to graduates of ABA-accredited law schools.

Although numerous lawsuits have been filed in ultimately failed efforts to strike down bar admission rules that restrict eligibility to graduates of ABA-accredited law schools, none has challenged the ABA-accreditation requirement based on the First Amendment’s prohibition on media discrimination. This Article makes that case.

Despite accelerating technological …

Legalized Gaming And Political Contributions: When The Diceman Cometh, Will Corruption Goeth?, 40 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1089 (2007), Bonny Bumiller

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Gambling And The Law®: The International Law Of Remote Wagering, 40 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1159 (2007), I. Nelson Rose

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Roots Of Jack Spring V. Little, 40 J. Marshall L. Rev. 395 (2007), Richard H. Chused

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.