Lawyers face tremendous professional stress in the best of times between long hours, deadlines, and the adversarial nature of the work itself. The landmark 2016 report, The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys[1]
The Law for Lawyers Today
Ethics, Professional Responsibility and More
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ABA opinion spells out “reply all” implications in electronic communications
Many of us have had the experience of opposing counsel copying their client on an email about the matter (and sometimes an email that takes us to task for some supposed transgression). The immediate response may be to “Reply All”…
Ohio ethics opinion provides valuable insight on office-sharing considerations
Earlier this month, the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct (“Board”) issued an Opinion which provides guidance to attorneys engaged or contemplating engaging in an office-sharing arrangement. Sharing office space has many enticing advantages for lawyers such as reducing overhead and…
ABA provides guidance on the “no-contact rule” for pro se lawyers
Model Rule 4.2 is often referred to as the “no-contact” rule, prohibiting lawyers from contacting represented parties regarding the subject matter of the representation without first obtaining a court order or the consent of the other party’s lawyer. Just last…
Lack of participation in disciplinary process leaves no basis for sanction less than disbarment
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred a lawyer for conduct that violated Rules 1.15(I)(a) and 1.15 (II)(b) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct—the maximum sanction for such violations. After failing to respond to various attempts from the State Bar…
Ohio lawyers given the green light to hold cryptocurrency in escrow
Just last month, Ohio issued Opinion 2022-07, which allows lawyers to hold cryptocurrency in escrow, under certain conditions. It is no secret that technology tends to outpace the law, so the clarity is certainly welcomed. While this opinion sheds…
Not a gift worth receiving; discipline increased for violation of conflicts rules
Gift giving can be complicated, but especially so for lawyers if they are the intended recipient. A ruling handed down by the Vermont Supreme Court last month increased a lawyer’s suspension from three months to five months because the legal…
What not to do when you make a mistake
Maybe you were lucky and opposing counsel was able to delete the inadvertent email you sent her before she read what would have inevitably blown your whole case. But what about for those lawyers who were not so fortunate? Did…
Opinion from the Buckeye State; “no-contact” rule revisited
The “no contact rule” set out in Model Rule 4.2 can be a source of confusion for many lawyers. The rule prohibits a lawyer from communicating with a represented person about the subject of the representation without the consent of…
ABA opinion sheds insight as to permissible solicitation tactics
Marketing is an integral part of the private practice of law. But where is the line between permissible advertising tactics and impermissible solicitation? Often it is hard to find guidance to tell you on which side of that line your…