Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons^™

Asking The Lost Question: What Is The Purpose Of Law School?, Bethany Rubin Henderson

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

E-Development: Should Librarians Expand Their Online Learning Opportunities?, Kristina L. Niedringhaus

Faculty Publications By Year

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Lawyers Without The Code, The Rules, Or The Restatement: Or, What Do Honor And Shame Have To Do With Civil Discovery Practice?, W. Bradley Wendel

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

One of the most striking things to notice when "looking back" on the regulation of the legal profession is the relative absence of enforceable legal sanctions for unethical behavior by lawyers. Before the promulgation in 1970 of the ABA's Model Code of Professional Responsibility, regulation of the legal profession was largely a matter of a fraternal body taking care of its own, and occasionally expelling miscreants. Now, of course, there is a complex body of law, enforced by courts and regulatory authorities with overlapping jurisdiction, that governs a substantial amount of the day-to-day activities of lawyers.

The hypothesis I explore …

I Don't Have Time To Be Ethical: Addressing The Effects Of Billable Hour Pressure, Susan Saab Fortney

Faculty Scholarship

This article discusses the unintended consequences of the billable hour derby and suggests changes to address the deleterious effects of increasing billable hour requirements. A brief introduction identifies law firms’ recent tendency to increase the billable hour requirements to fund the heightened salaries of associates. This article analyzes the results from an empirical study focused on the effects of billable hour expectations and firm cultures. Part I generally reviews the study findings. Part II discusses the work and report of the ABA Commission, while Part III indentifies those issues and approaches that the ABA and firm managers should explore. Recognizing …

Estate Planning Malpractice: Is Strict Privity Here To Stay?, Angela M. Vallario

All Faculty Scholarship

Under Maryland case law, a plaintiff in an estate planning malpractice action must be in strict privity with the attorney who drafted the will. To date, Maryland has not extended the third-party beneficiary exception to the estate planning arena.

Legatees specifically identified in a will by name or class are generally precluded from bringing a cause of action against the attorney for the attorney's alleged negligence, because in Maryland in order to recover for legal malpractice, a plaintiff must:show: "(1) the attorney's employment; (2) his neglect of a reasonable duty; and (3) loss to the client proximately caused by that …

Ethical Concerns In Drafting Employment Arbitration Agreements After Circuit City And Green Tree, Martin H. Malin

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

High Drama And Hindsight: The Llp Shield Post-Anderson, Susan Saab Fortney

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores several disadvantages associated with limited liability partnerships (LLPs) in the wake of the Anderson-Enron debacle. The article explains how conversion to LLP from a traditional partnership may undercut the incentive for partners to devote time and resources to monitoring and risk management activities. Additionally, the article notes that conflicts may arise regarding the payment of debts when a firm, without sufficient malpractice insurance, converts to an LLP. The article delves into the exodus problem caused by the lack of partners’ commitment to the firm. The article also describes the tension between partners over malpractice insurance decisions that …

'What's Love Got To Do With It?' - 'It's Not Like They're Your Friends For Christ's Sake' : The Complicated Relationship Between Lawyer And Client, Robert J. Condlin

Faculty Scholarship

Should lawyers love their clients and try to be their friends? Highly regarded legal scholars have defended the “lawyer-as-friend” analogy in the past, although usually on the basis of a more contractual understanding of friendship than the understanding currently in vogue. These past efforts were widely criticized on a variety of grounds, and after a period of debate, support for the analogy appeared to wane. That is until recently, when other scholars, looking at the topic from a more religious perspective, have asserted a refined version of the friendship analogy as the proper model for lawyer-client relations. It is this …

Unlawful Discrimination Or A Necessity For A Fair Trial?: Exclusion Of A Law Clerk With A Disability From The Courtroom During Jury Trial Of A Personal Injury Case, Luther A. Granquist

William Mitchell Law Review

Today, the judicial system, broadly viewed to include bench and bar, jurors, and court personnel, includes more persons of color and more women than ever before. Issues of discrimination on the basis of race and gender continue, but progress has been made. However, few persons with evident disabilities practice law or sit on the bench. Perhaps that is why the very presence of a man with serious disabilities prompts concerns about the effect that he will have, just being there, on the outcome of a case. When more persons with evident disabilities, more persons who use wheelchairs or have personal …

Ethical Deception By Prosecutors, Rebecca B. Cross

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment discusses the Colorado Supreme Court's suspension of Assistant District Attorney Mark Pautler for deceitful conduct in securing the surrender of an axe murderer on a killing spree. Although many thought Pautler's conduct was morally acceptable, disciplinary authorities found that he violated ethical rules governing attorney conduct. Using People v. Pautler as a case study, this Comment sorts through relevant, current interpretations of the ethnics rule and proposes an approach for future analysis.

January 2003, Cao, A Review Of Ifc's Safeguard Policies, Cao

CAO General 1999-Present

No abstract provided.

2003 (Undated), Cao. External Review Team Draft Terms Of Reference, Cao

CAO General 1999-Present

No abstract provided.

Lawyers And Domestic Violence: Raising The Standard Of Practice, John M. Burman

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

Lawyers and judges should be the vanguard of those working to end domestic violence and mitigate its effects, yet they are not. This article is an attempt to change that. It strives to shed some light on the profound effect domestic violence has on law and law practice, as well as the profound effect lawyers and the legal system can have on domestic violence. Part II of this article demonstrates the extent and pervasiveness of domestic violence. Part III describes how domestic violence will affect a lawyer's practice. Part IV provides guidance on what a lawyer should do to determine …

A Bermuda Triangle In The Tripartite Relationship: Ethical Dilemmas Raised By Insurers' Billing And Litigation Management Guidelines, Amy S. Moats

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

It's Hard To Be A Human Being And A Lawyer: Young Attorneys And The Confrontation With Ethical Ambiguity In Legal Practice, Robert Granfield, Thomas Koenig Northeastern University

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Response To Russell Pearce, John A. Humbach

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

There is not very much to criticize in what Professor Pearce has said about the MacCrate Report. Mostly, therefore, I will just amplify some of the points that I regard as among the most important. Before that, however, I want to mention some quibbles. First, I have always been bothered a bit when people describe the lawyer's role as that of a hired gun. The term “hired gun” is (if you'll pardon the expression) loaded. It does not, moreover, correctly capture either the good or the questionable of what lawyers actually try to do when representing their clients. Real hired …

But What Is Their Story?, Clark D. Cunningham

Faculty Publications By Year

No abstract provided.

Keeping The Wheels On The Wagon: Observations On Issues Of Legal Ethics For Lawyers Representing Business Organizations, Irma S. Russell

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Much Truth About Truth Commissions, Marten Zwanenburg

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Unspeakable Truths: Confronting State Terror and Atrocity by Priscilla B. Hayner. New York: Routledge, 2002. 344pp.

Possibilities For Collaborative Law: Ethics And Practice Of Lawyer Disqualification And Process Control In A New Model Of Lawyering, John M. Lande

Faculty Publications

This article assesses the possibilities for collaborative law (CL) to promote problem-solving negotiation and analyzes the operation and effect of the CL disqualification agreement (DA), which CL leaders hold as essential to the process. In CL, the lawyers and clients agree to negotiate from the outset of the case using a problem-solving approach. Under CL theory, the process creates a metaphorical "container" by using a DA disqualifying both lawyers from representing their clients if either party chooses to proceed in litigation. This article argues that much CL theory and practice is valuable, including protocols of early commitment to negotiation, interest-based …

What Clients Want, What Lawyers Need., Anita Bernstein

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Good Life In The Balance: A Cross-National Study Of Dutch And Australian Disability Perspectives On Euthanasia And Physician-Assisted Suicide, Erik A. Leipoldt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This is a cross-national qualitative study with the purpose of obtaining perspectives held by people with quadriplegia and leading figures in disability movements in the Netherlands and Australia on the issues of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (EPAS). A disability voice is not prominent in public debate on EPAS in Australia or the Netherlands, even though people with disabilities are often thought to be vulnerable in relation to EPAS policies. Disability perspectives are potentially valuable in illuminating issues in relation to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, because issues of dependence, independence, and individual autonomy play important roles in relation to both EPAS …

Terrorism, Grand Juries, And The Federal Material Witness Statute., Roberto Iraola

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Law School Branding And The Future Of Legal Education., Michael Ariens

St. Mary's Law Journal

It is too early to determine if law school branding will have a positive or a negative effect on legal education. A recent shift in legal education has led law schools to consciously brand themselves, claiming an educational distinctiveness in selling their services to consumers. Branding is an attempt to create a desire in targeted prospective students to join the branded law school. Although a law school may brand itself by claiming it delivers an excellent legal education, branding is about distinctiveness, not quality. Law schools have used a number of approaches to attract students, including aggressive marketing of a …

The Effect Of 8 U. S. C. 1324(D) In Transporting Prosecutions: Does The Confrontation Clause Still Apply To Alien Defendants., Donna F. Coltharp

St. Mary's Law Journal

Cases prosecuted under 8 U.S.C. §1324 present special challenges for the Government and for defendants. Under §1324, it is a crime to transport or smuggle aliens into the United States. Prosecuting transporters or smugglers may present a challenge if a witness is unavailable. Even though transporting or smuggling always has witnesses—the alien(s) who hired the smuggler or transporter—not all witnesses have prolonged detentions, and some are returned to their native country. The transporter or smuggler may then assert their Sixth Amendment right. The Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause requires that in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to …

Separation V. Patriotism: Expelling The Pledge From School., Bill W. Sanford Jr.

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

When Parents And Educators Clash: Are Special Education Students Entitled To A Cadillac Education., Judith Deberry

St. Mary's Law Journal

Due to the ambiguous language of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there is uncertainty concerning IDEA’s requirements. IDEA mandates that all school districts receiving federal education monies provide for the education of disabled students. According to IDEA, each state must provide disabled children with “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet the student’s unique needs and prepare him or her for employment and independent living. Parents have argued that IDEA requires school districts to compensate them for commercial programs and private school costs. Courts have held that an individual education …

In Re V.L.K. V. Troxel: Is The Best Interest Standard In A Motion To Modify The Sole Managing Conservator Subject To A Due Process Or Course Challenge., David F. Johnson

St. Mary's Law Journal

Texas Family Code section 156.101 is unconstitutional. In In re V.L.K, the Texas Supreme Court held that the Texas Legislature removed the injurious retention element from section 156.101 and no longer required a finding that the natural parent be injurious to the welfare of the child. The Texas Supreme Court’s ruling is contradictory to the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Troxel v. Granville. In Troxel, the Supreme Court struck down a state statute that effectively permitted any third party to file a motion to challenge custody. Under Texas law, any affected party, not limited to parties named in the …

Rethinking The Prohibition Of Death Row Prisoners As Organ Donors: A Possible Lifeline To Those On Organ Donor Waiting Lists., Donny J. Perales

St. Mary's Law Journal

Organ transplantation continually brings hope and new life to thousands of patients suffering from a myriad of diseases. Despite the advances in medical science and the increased survival rates of organ recipients, many are unable to receive an organ transplant because the demand for organs drastically exceeds the available supply. Much of the organ deficit lies in the current system of organ procurement. The altruism-based organ system leaves the donative decision to the individual; however, it is this system which hinders effective organ procurement. Under this system, the donor must give prior consent before a doctor can remove any organ. …

Introduction To The Second Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice & (And) Professional Responsibility The Second Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice & Professional Responsibility., Adam Boland

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.