Texas Ethics Opinion 642 (Revised) Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas In September 2015, the Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas revised Opinion 642. The Opinion confirmed that non-lawyers employees cannot use “officer” or “principal” in job title because it is generally understood that officers and principals exercise control […]
Ethics Advisory Committee Topic: attorneys participating in websites providing a fixed-fee legal referral service From the Opinion The fixed-fee legal referral service works as follows: Attorney signs up for the service by agreeing to offer certain flat fee services. The fee for the service is set by the internet advertising directory website(service). The […]
A Colorado attorney was suspended from the practice of law for 18 months on several grounds, including answering to clients’ criticism on line, disclosing confidential information. By way of background: a couple retained lawyer to provide his services in a post-marital issue. Although clients signed a fee agreement, they were not fully explained the terms of payment. […]
On June 29, 2015, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) released Opinion 1062, allowing law firms to engage in certain types of crowdfunding. Several law school graduates, who planned to start a small firm asked the NYSBA if it was ethically permissible to raise start-up funds via internet websites through “crowdfunding” to cover start-up […]
Committee on Professional Ethics Topic: Financing a law practice; crowdfunding websites Digest of the Committee: “A law firm may engage in certain types of crowdfunding but not others. Any form of fundraising that gives the investor an interest in a law firm or a share of its revenue would be prohibited. However, in some circumstances […]
On January 29, 2015, the presiding disciplinary judge of the Arizona Supreme Court admonished a lawyer for reacting inappropriately to emails. In this case, according to the court documents, the complainant scheduled an initial consultation with the lawyer, who assigned an associate to the case. Within a week of the initial consultation, complainant was emailed […]
This August, the Canadian Bar Association has issued a report titled “Futures: Transforming The Delivery Of Legal Services In Canada.” Starting from the concept that “globalization, technology, and market liberalization” are changing the environment in which lawyers work and that lawyers must be responsive to the changed needs of their clientele, the Canadian Bar Association […]
Committee on Professional Ethics Topic: Solicitation, client recommendation Digest of the Committee: “Lawyer may contact prospective client recommended by current client when prospective client has made known that lawyer should contact the prospective client and the lawyer did not make any payment or give any other consideration to the current client for the recommendation.” Rules: […]
Bitcoin is a virtual currency (or crypto-currency) having an equivalent value in real currency (but with great fluctuation) not backed by any country’s central bank or government. The origin of the currency are uncertain and related back to late 2008/early 2009. See more at Man said to create bitcoin denies it; Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System; Wikipedia. […]
South Carolina Lawyer 12 (May 2014) Originally published as Ethics Watch: Enforcing Fee Splitting Rules: Equity Rather than Strict Compliance, South Carolina Lawyer 12 (May 2014) Author discusses the basic principles applicable in case of coconseuling or referrals when lawyers, who are not members of a firm, split their fees. Relevant Law: Illinois Rules of […]