Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons^™

How Should The Icc Prosecutor Exercise His Or Her Discretion? The Role Of Fundamental Ethical Principles, 43 J. Marshall L. Rev. 553 (2010), Brian D. Lepard

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Shari'ah And Choice: What The United States Should Learn From Islamic Law About The Role Of Victims' Families In Death Penalty Cases, 44 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1 (2010), Susan C. Hascall

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Integrating Catholic Social Thought In Elder Law And Estate Planning Courses: Reflections On Law, Age And Ethics, Lucia A. Silecchia

Scholarly Articles

A course in elder law or estate planning encompasses many of the most profound issues that arise in human life: the contemplation of mortality, ambivalent attitudes toward property and its proper distribution, complexities in family relationships, obligations to support loved ones, anticipation of physical or mental challenges, and reflections on one’s desired legacy to loved ones. Although there is much in the Catholic tradition and in the Scriptures themselves that speaks to these questions in an indirect way, this has not often been fully explored because this field may not, on its face, have an obvious connection to religious tradition. …

Teaching Public Citizen Lawyering: From Aspiration To Inspiration, Mae Quinn

Journal Articles

A longtime social justice activist and clinical professor, Douglas Colbert,2 recently sought information from colleagues across the country3 for the second part of an important project examining a lawyer’s ethical obligation to engage in pro bono work during a time of crisis, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina or 9/11.4 He sent out surveys to learn which schools actually taught the Preamble to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct in ethics or other courses.5 As Professor Colbert’s letter explained, the Preamble states: “A lawyer, as a member of the legal profession, is a representative of clients, an officer …

Lawyers In Character And Lawyers In Role, Kate Kruse

Faculty Scholarship

Legal ethicists have long been fascinated by the relationships between lawyers’ roles in an adversary system of justice and the character, attitudes, or dispositions that best suit the practice of law. Leonard Riskin’s scholarship has explored how lawyers’ practice of mindfulness can improve their legal practice, and his claim in this body of work – that the practice of mindfulness helps to develop the internalized trait of mindfulness – ties his scholarship to the work of legal ethicists who have endeavored to develop character-based theories of legal ethics. Riskin’s analysis of how lawyers might incorporate mindfulness into law practice also …

Waving Goodbye To Waiver? Not So Fast: Inadvertent Disclosure, Waiver Of The Attorney-Client Privilege, And Federal Rule Of Evidence 502, Elizabeth King

Campbell Law Review

Waiver of the attorney-client privilege due to inadvertent disclosure is an important issue that courts and litigants have grappled with for a long time. With electronic discovery becoming increasingly common, and with electronic privilege reviews replacing paper reviews, the issue takes on greater importance. The risk of inadvertently disclosing privileged or protected information is heightened in electronic discovery because of the very nature of electronic information. For example, although a party makes an effort to segregate and delete privileged information from a computer drive prior to producing the electronic documents to the opposing party, the deleted files may still be …

Necessary Fictions: Indigenous Claims And The Humanity Of Rights, Peter Fitzpatrick

Human Rights & Human Welfare

To begin, not propitiously. When checking whether my title ‘Necessary Fictions’ was being used elsewhere, Google revealed that it was going to be used in a future talk, and by me. It transpired mercifully that this use was going to be quite different to the present which suggested the prospect of a new academic genre: same title, different paper; rather than the standard combination of same paper, different title. Fortuitously, that contrast gave me the leitmotiv for this talk – that things ostensibly the same can be different, and that things ostensibly different can be the same.

© Peter Fitzpatrick. …

Understanding Caperton: Judicial Disqualification Under The Due Process Clause, Dmitry Bam

Faculty Publications

It is virtually impossible to discuss the Supreme Court’s decision in Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co. without hearing some variant of the following response: “I can’t believe it was as close as it was.” And it does not matter whether you are chatting with your next-door neighbor who had never thought about judicial ethics in his life or discussing the case with a judicial-recusal expert. Nearly everyone seems to agree: Caperton was an “easy” case and that four justices dissented is an indication that there is something terribly wrong. Not only has Caperton elevated the issue of judicial impartiality …

A Tale Of Two Judges : A Judge Advocate’S Reflections On Judge Gonzales’S Apologia, Charles J. Dunlap Jr.

Faculty Scholarship

This is a response to - and reflection about - Judge Alberto Gonzales's essay in the Texas Tech Law Review entitled "Waging War Within the Constitution" 42 Tex. Tech. L. Rev. 843 (2010). It argues that national security law policy in an era of complex challenges is best designed when the expertise of the widest number of knowledgeable practictioners is brought to bear in a principled and fearless manner.

Understanding Missouri’S Rule 13: Preparing To Supervise A Student Practitioner, Patrick C. Brayer

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

It's Not My Problem? Wrong: Prosecutors Have An Important Ethical Role To Play, Rory K. Little

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Do Two Wrongs Protect A Prosecutor?, Peter A. Joy, Kevin C. Mcmunigal

Faculty Publications

May a former criminal defendant bring a civil rights action against a prosecutor who fabricated evidence during an investigation and then introduced that evidence against the defendant at trial? The Seventh and Second Circuits have divided in answering this question. On November 4, 29, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in an Eighth Circuit case raising this question, Pottawattamie County v. Harrington, 547 F.3d 922 (8th Cir. 28), cert. granted, 129 S. Ct. 22 (April 2, 29), and many expected the Court to resolve the circuit split later this term. But on January 4, 21, the Court dismissed the case …

Aba Explains Prosecutor's Ethical Disclosure Duty, Peter A. Joy, Kevin C. Mcmunigal

Faculty Publications

The ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility recently issued an advisory ethics opinion explaining that the ethical duty of the prosecutor under Model Rule 3.8(d) to disclose exculpatory evidence and information to the defendant is separate from, and more expansive than, the disclosure obligations under the Constitution. This column reviews the opinion and its implications for discovery in criminal cases.

The (Lack Of) Enforcement Of Prosecutor Disclosure Rules, Kevin C. Mcmunigal

Faculty Publications

In this Article, I assess the apparent prospects for increased disciplinary enforcement of state ethics rules based on Rule 3.8(d) of the American Bar Association's (“ABA”) Model Rules of Professional Conduct that mandates prosecutorial disclosure of exculpatory information. In particular, I focus on whether it makes sense to view recent ABA Formal Opinion 09-454, in which the ABA gave an expansive reading to Model Rule 3.8(d), as the bellwether of an era of increased enforcement of ethical disclosure rules for prosecutors.

Deceit In Defense Investigations, Peter A. Joy, Kevin C. Mcmunigal

Faculty Publications

Prosecutors and police routinely employ misrepresentation and deceit in undercover investigations. In cases ranging from drug distribution, prostitution, and sexual misconduct with minors to organized crime and terrorism, police and those cooperating with police deceive suspects and their cohorts about their identities and their intentions in order to gain information to help uncover past crimes and thwart future crimes. Frequently, such deceit helps reveal the truth about what criminals do and think.

May defense lawyers and investigators working for them employ similar tactics? Or should prosecutors be the only lawyers allowed to direct and supervise investigatory deception? In recent years, …

Sports Agents: Ethical Representatives Or Overly Aggressive Adversaries, Stacey B. Evans

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Navigating The Murky Waters Of Untruth In Negotiation: Lessons For Ethical Lawyers, Deborah Schmedemann

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Verbena Gardens had been working for months on its new product in its offices at Kost Properties' Southwest Suites when the burglary occurred, sometime between 8:00 and 10:00 at night. The case was never solved; Verbena's property was never recovered. While the burglary pushed the project back by months, the market moved on, and the promising new product was scuttled.

Hall's Standards Of Review In Texas Foreword., Wallace B. Jefferson

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Hall's Standards Of Review In Texas., W. Wendell Hall, O. Rey Rodriguez, Rosemarie Kanusky, Mark Emery

St. Mary's Law Journal

Standards of review distribute power within the judicial branch by defining the relationship between trial and appellate courts. These standards “frame the issues, define the depth of review, assign power among judicial actors, and declare the proper materials to review.” Standards of review are the cornerstones of appeals. These standards must be woven into the discussion of the facts and substantive law in a manner which persuades the appellate court that the trial court erred. Litigants must measure their factual and legal arguments against the appropriate rubric to write an effective and persuasive brief. Appellate judges agree that mechanical recitation …

New Law Complicates Foreclosure Sales In Texas., Katherine A. Tapley

St. Mary's Law Journal

A new law that recently took effect has changed the way non-judicial real property foreclosure sales work in Texas. The new law, known as House Bill 655 (HB 655), relates to foreclosure sales in Texas. HB 655 amends the language of Texas Property Code section 51.0075(f) dealing with when the purchase price is due at a foreclosure sale. The amendment, however, complicates foreclosure sales in Texas. The purchase price at the foreclosure sale is no longer due immediately. Instead, if a purchaser at a foreclosure sale requests additional time to deliver the purchase price, the trustee—the person conducting the foreclosure …

Unequal And Unfair: Why Texas Should Require Mandatory Sales Price Disclosure To Reconcile The Texas Property Tax Code With The Texas Constitution., Nathan Morey

St. Mary's Law Journal

Appraisal districts in Texas are implementing a system of taxation that is unequal and unfair. Texas counties, cities, and school districts depend on local ad valorem property taxes for revenue. Under the Texas Property Tax Code, the Code establishes appraisal districts to determine the value of taxable property. There is, however, a discrepancy between the cash value of the land and its appraisal value, especially when compared to commercial property and residential property. Commercial property and high-end residential real estate are often undervalued by appraisal districts throughout the state. Because commercial properties are under-appraised, the tax burden is being unequally …

Leaks, Lies, And The Moonlight: Fiduciary Duties Of Associates To Their Law Firms., Susan Saab Fortney

St. Mary's Law Journal

This symposium article examines the fiduciary duties of law firm associates. After applying agency principles to the firm-associate relationship, the article analyzes specific duties and discusses cases involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duties by associates. It explores associate duties in the current legal, organizational, and socio-technological environment in which associates practice. The article closes with observations on the importance of firm principals considering the effect of firm culture on associate attitudes and conduct.

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 …

Saving Civil Justice: Judging Civil Justice, Elizabeth G. Thornburg

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Foreword, Lonnie T. Brown, Jr.

Georgia Law Review

In all types of law practice, attorneys are routinely called upon to make difficult ethical judgment calls. The ethical line-drawing that often takes place in the context of controversial or high-profile cases, however, can be uniquely challenging. Indeed, the very decision to undertake a representation of this nature is fraught with ethical and pragmatic concerns uncommon to typical legal matters. Usually, in assessing whether or not to accept representation of a client, lawyers must address such issues as competency, conflicts of interest, and fee structure. The character of these preliminary inquiries changes rather dramatically, though, when the prospective client is …

"How Can You Represent That Man?": Ethics, The Rule Of Law, And Defending The Indefensible, Ramsey Clark

Georgia Law Review

As we meet to discuss legal ethics, we should consider whether the subject as it is usually presented today adequately encompasses the ideal role of the lawyer, beyond zealous advocacy on behalf of clients. For the most part, legal ethics today, through codes of professional conduct, deals with prohibitions intended to protect the public from misconduct by lawyers, oftentimes criminal. Thou shalt not steal, conceal, lie, bear false witness, suborn perjury, or breach client trust. But is this all? Doesn't ethics promise more than this? Ethics-like morality, which has richer connotations in our culture-properly deals not only with what is …

A Prosecutor's Non-Negotiables: Integrity And Independence, David C. Iglesias

Georgia Law Review

I raised my right hand and I took an oath of office in a brand new federal courthouse that would eventually become . .. the Pete V. Domenici Courthouse, named after our senior senator who retired after thirty-six years of service and who, as the story goes, I will tell you more about. I didn't really fully realize the substance of what I was swearing to until years later when it became abundantly clear that the oath that I took was to the Constitution. It wasn't to my party, it wasn't to my senator, it wasn't to a specific ideology, …

Prosecutorial Sound Bites: When Do They Cross The Line?, Laurie L. Levenson

Georgia Law Review

Even good prosecutors can cross the line. This is particularly true when it comes to media sound bites in high-profile cases. The Supreme Court held in Gentile v. Nevada State Bar, 501 U.S. 1030 (1991), that while lawyers have the First Amendment right to make comments to the press, they do not have the right to make comments that have a "substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding." This broad standard gives little guidance to prosecutors as they try to frame their public remarks. A much better guide is found in 28 C.F.R. § 50.2. These federal regulations at …

Navigating The Murky Waters Of Untruth In Negotiation: Lessons For Ethical Lawyers, Deborah A. Schmedemann

Faculty Scholarship

This article answers the following questions: What does the law-both general principles applicable to truthfulness in negotiation and professional responsibility rules- say about this dilemma? What do we know about the practice of truthfulness in lawyer negotiations? What have social scientists learned about deception in negotiations over the last few decades? Finally, what lessons can be drawn for lawyers seeking to behave ethically, as well as for those interested in assisting lawyers navigate the “murky waters of untruth?

What Does It Mean To Do The Right Thing?, Ran Kuttner

Nevada Law Journal

This Article will explore how the practice of mindfulness and the cultivation of wisdom as understood in the Buddhist philosophy can help develop a mindset that will assist lawyers and conflict resolution specialists to make conscious ethical decisions and to do the “right thing” in different situations. It will draw a distinction between the two central terms, “mindfulness” and “wisdom,” clarify the philosophical underpinnings of “wisdom,” introduce foundational concepts in Buddhist philosophy, and suggest that in order to cultivate the aforementioned mindset, it is important to go beyond “mindfulness” and meet the challenges that the cultivation of “wisdom” pose. Part …