Commission on Ethics 20/20 makes small tweaks to Model Rules 
By:
W. William Hodes
Published: April 19, 2013
Tags: ABA, American Bar Association, ethics, legal ethics
Since the Model Rules of Professional Conduct were first promulgated by the American Bar Association in 1983, they have been amended several times on an issue-by-issue basis, and the ABA has twice undertaken a more global overhaul.
Attorneys, marketers hesitate to endorse LinkedIn endorsements
By:
Correy Stephenson
Published: April 12, 2013
Tags: endorsements, ethics, LinkedIn, marketing, social media, technology
Brian D. Wassom has never done work on mergers and acquisitions.
But someone recently endorsed him for the skill on social networking site LinkedIn.
A slip-up like that is part of the reason marketing expert Allison C. Shields, president of New York-based Legal Ease Consulting a legal practice management and
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Applying ethics rules to ‘daily deals’
By:
Thomas Spahn
Published: April 2, 2013
Tags: ethics, Groupon, legal ethics, legal marketing, marketing, metadata
State ethics committees have struggled for decades with applying traditional ethics rules to new forms of electronic communications. Among other things, early bar opinions condemned lawyers’ use of cellphones and unencrypted email.
N.H. ethics panel approves use of cloud computing
Published: March 25, 2013
Tags: cloud computing, ethics, Rules of Professional Conduct
A lawyer may use cloud computing as long as reasonable steps are taken to ensure that sensitive client information remains confidential, a New Hampshire ethics committee has concluded in an advisory opinion.
Law firms may use trade names, N.J. top court rules
Published: March 19, 2013
Tags: ethics, lawyer advertising, Rules of Professional Conduct
A law firm may use a trade name so long as it describes the nature of the legal practice in terms that are accurate and not misleading, the New Jersey Supreme Court has decided in amending a state rule on attorney advertising.
Lawyer suspended over poor billing practices
Published: March 18, 2013
Tags: attorney discipline, billable hours, ethics, legal ethics
A lawyer who charged a client for six hours of time to prepare his bill – with an additional hour spent searching for the file – was recently suspended by the North Dakota Supreme Court.
Fla. Bar panel proposes guidelines for cloud computing
Published: March 11, 2013
Tags: client confidentiality, cloud computing, confidentiality, data security, ethics, legal ethics, technology
Florida lawyers may use cloud computing as long as they take “reasonable” precautions to ensure the confidentiality of client information, according to a proposed ethics opinion issued by a state bar committee.
Judicial ethics code applies to social networking, ABA panel says
Published: March 7, 2013
Tags: ABA, American Bar Association, ethics, Judges, social media, social networking, technology
Judges must follow the ethics rules governing social relationships and contacts when engaged in electronic social networking, an American Bar Association committee has made clear in a new ethics opinion.
Iowa attorneys suspended for house flipping scheme
Published: March 7, 2013
Tags: attorney discipline, client communication, conflict of interest, ethics, foreclosure, real estate, Rules of Professional Conduct
The Iowa Supreme Court has suspended two attorneys who failed to fully disclose that they were behind the purchase of a home their client had foreclosed upon and put up for auction.
ABA’s 20/20 Commission proposes final changes
By:
Correy Stephenson
Published: March 5, 2013
Tags: ABA, advertising, American Bar Association, ethics, social media, technology
With the release of a final set of proposed changes to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the American Bar Association’s 20/20 Commission completed its work last month.
The group addressed major issues facing lawyers, including the maintenance of client confidences in the age of social media, the ethical obligations of legal outsourcing and the need to stay up-to-date and informed on technology.
