Ethics Governance
Ethics & Governance - Resources and Articles |
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| Article - Abstract. To view full article click on the article title. | |
http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/archives/1999/oct-99-ethics.htm Losing or Damaging the License to Practice Law by Barrie Althoff, WSBA Chief Disciplinary Counsel. Opinions expressed herein are the author’s and are not official or unofficial WSBA positions. When we think of the ethical standards applicable to lawyers, we usually think of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPCs). Even if we comply with all of the RPCs, however, we can still be subject to lawyer discipline, because violation of the RPCs is only one of the many grounds for lawyer discipline. We also can lose our license to practice law for conduct that is not ethical misconduct under the RPCs. This article surveys the grounds for imposing discipline and reviews various non-disciplinary conduct which may result in the interim or permanent loss of a lawyer’s license to practice law. The rules setting out the ethical standards for lawyers are principally found in the RPCs. The RPCs require us to be competent and diligent, to charge only reasonable fees and to avoid conflicts of interest, to maintain client confidences and secrets and yet be candid with courts and others, and so on. The "Preliminary Statement" to the RPCs observes that the RPCs state the minimum level of conduct below which no lawyer can fall without being subject to disciplinary action. While failure to comply with the RPCs is the primary reason lawyers are subjected to discipline, such failures are only one of many grounds for lawyer discipline. I. Grounds for Discipline The principal rules governing lawyer discipline are the Rules for Lawyer Discipline (RLDs). Full Article: http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/archives/1999/oct-99-ethics.htm |
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2006 Ethics-Governance.com |
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