Ethical Considerations When “Specially Appearing” for Another Lawyer If you are a litigator, you have likely been in court and heard another lawyer enter her appearance by stating her name, followed by the phrase...
By Charles Berwanger All of us have most probably received email communications from opposing counsel in a matter in which counsel’s client is shown as a “cc.” You have been waiting for the opportunity...
By Jeff Michalowski In recent years, amicus briefing has played an increasingly significant role in appellate practice. This is true, of course, in blockbuster Supreme Court cases like Dobbs (in which 133 amici filed briefs)...
Contact with Represented Persons by a Pro Se Lawyer On September 28, 2022, the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 502, which addresses a pro se...
By David C. Carr American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rule 8.3 provides that “a lawyer who knows that another lawyer has committed a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct that raises a substantial...
By Alara T. Chilton For many years, improving civility among lawyers has been a serious concern for the legal profession, including in California. In response, the State Bar, district courts, local bar associations, and...
Ethical Limitations on the Attorney “Overachiever” As an attorney seeking to advance your career, whether within a firm or within the legal community at large, you may feel the “overachiever” instinct to immediately accept...
By Shelly Skinner California Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1 requires that attorneys provide competent representation to their clients. This includes “the duty to keep abreast of the changes in the law and its practice,...
Ethics, Integrity, and the Not-So-Truthful Client You did it! Three years of stress. Three years of late nights hopped up on caffeine. Three years of interviews, internships, rejections, and successes. For so long, you...
By Deborah Wolfe Apparently, in 2022, despite years of progress and women entering the legal profession at a rate of 51% compared to men, misogyny is alive and well — though perhaps less overtly...