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.
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.
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.
O’Quinn firm faces suit over expenses
Published: January 7, 2013
Tags: breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, deceptive trade practices, ethics, fraud, legal ethics, mass tort, negligence, referral fees, settlements, silicosis litigation
According to a lawsuit filed by former clients, the Texas-based O’Quinn law firm mishandled their silicosis litigation settlement funds.
Elderly lawyer must be assessed for cognitive decline
Published: December 20, 2012
Tags: attorney discipline, CLE, Continuing Legal Education, ethics, legal ethics, Sanctions
An elderly Ohio lawyer must undergo a geriatric psychological assessment and otherwise establish his fitness before being allowed to return to practice following his suspension for mishandling a client’s case.
S.F. firm must distance itself from ‘disgraced’ lawyer
Published: December 13, 2012
Tags: attorney discipline, ethics, immigration, legal ethics, unauthorized practice of law
A San Francisco immigration firm must notify its clients that its founder resigned from the bar in the face of disciplinary charges, according to an injunction upheld last week by the California Court of Appeal.
In-house counsel gets permanent double disbarment
Published: December 4, 2012
Tags: attorney discipline, disbarment, ethics, in-house counsel, legal ethics, professional responsibility, unauthorized practice of law, Verizon, WorldCom
A lawyer who continued to work as an in-house attorney after he had been disbarred has now been permanently disbarred.
Calif. justices adopt changes to judicial ethics code
Published: November 28, 2012
Tags: campaign contributions, Code of Judicial Ethics, ethics, ex parte communication, Judges, legal ethics
The justices of the California Supreme Court have unanimously adopted amendments to the state’s judicial code of ethics, addressing a wide array of subjects ranging from ex parte communication to campaign contributions.
Lawyer’s tax evasion results in disbarment
Published: November 27, 2012
Tags: ABA, American Bar Association, attorney discipline, disbarment, ethics, legal ethics, professional responsibility, Sanctions, tax evasion
Disbarment is the presumptive discipline for a lawyer who engages in tax evasion, the Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled.
