Louisiana State Bar Association Public Opinion 06-RPCC-008

Rules of Professional Conduct Committee Topic: Lawyer’s Use of Technology Conclusion of the Committee: “A lawyer must consider the benefits and risks associated with using technology in representing a client. When a lawyer uses technology in representing a client, the lawyer must use reasonable care to protect client information and to assure that client data […]

Computer-assisted legal research is a necessity for the contemporary practice of law but shall be carried out with competence

    Two courts in Canada recently dealt with excessive legal fees charged for performing legal research and found out that computer-assisted legal research is a necessity for the contemporary practice of law but shall be carried out with competence. In both Cass v. Ontario and Drummond v. Cadillac the Ontario Superior Court commented on artificial intelligence and […]

FTC’s cybersecurity guidance for small businesses

On October 18, 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published – along with Department of Homeland Security, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Small Business Administration – guidance for small businesses on how to deal with cyber threats and increase data security. The FTC highlighted a dozen need-to-know topics: Cybersecurity Basics, Understanding […]

ABA addresses attorneys’ ethical obligations after a data breach that involves information relating to the representation of a client

    On October 17, 20180 the American Bar Association issued ABA formal opinion 483 addressing attorneys’ ethical obligations after a data breach that involves information relating to the representation of a client. According to the Opinion, compliance with the obligations imposed by the Model Rules of Professional Conduct depends on the nature of the […]

ABA Formal Opinion 483

Topic: Lawyers’ Obligations After an Electronic Data Breach or Cyberattack   “Model Rule 1.4 requires lawyers to keep clients “reasonably informed” about the status of a matter and to explain matters “to the extent reasonably necessary to permit a client to make an informed decision regarding the representation.” Model Rules 1.1, 1.6, 5.1 and 5.3, […]

Lawyer who ignored client’s Facebook inquiries about his case received a 90-day suspension

  On April 27, 2017, the Nebraska Supreme Court ordered the suspension of an attorney from the practice of law for a period of 90 days followed by 1 year’s monitored probation. The Counsel for Discipline of the Nebraska Supreme Court filed formal charges against the attorney. According to the charges, the attorney had taken […]

ABA Formal Opinion 477

American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility   Topic: Securing Communication of Protected Client Information “A lawyer generally may transmit information relating to the representation of a client over the internet without violating the Model Rules of Professional Conduct where the lawyer has undertaken reasonable efforts to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized access […]

New York County Lawyers’ Association Ethics Opinion 749

  Committee on Professional Ethics Topic: “A lawyer’s ethical duty of technological competence with respect to the duty to protect a client’s confidential information from cybersecurity risk and handling e-discovery when representing clients in a litigation or government investigation”   From the digest: A lawyer’s ethical duty of competence extends to the manner in which […]