Download - Intro to Legal Profession May 31
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Instructor:JulieSaffren,[email protected]
Introductions SyllabusreviewandcourseexpectationsWhatareethicsWhoregulatestheprofession Introductiontotheattorney-clientrelationship
Scope FormationofACR Terminationandwithdrawal
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SyllabusAttendancepolicy Participationanddiscussion Inclassortakehomeexercises?YesQuizzes?PossiblyMid-term?No
MPREpracticeexam?Yes Finalexam?Closedbook--essayandm/c
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Whyisthisclassnecessary? "Alawschoolshallrequireeachstudentreceivessubstantialinstructioninthehistory,goals,structure,values,rules,andresponsibilitiesofthe
legalprofessionanditsmembers."SECTIONOFLEGALEDUCATIONANDADMISSIONSTOTHEBAR,AMERICANBARASSOCIATION,STANDARDS:RULESOFPROCEDUREFORAPPROVALOFLAWSCHOOLS
(2006)
Whyisthisclassimportant?Whoshouldteachit?
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Whatmakeslawaprofession? Isntitalsoabusiness/livelihood?
Ethicaltensionsarethenatureofthepractice Economicandnon-economicinterests
Overlyzealousrepresentationtothosewhocanafforditandlittletonothingforthosewhocannot
Attorneyeconomicinterests,e.g.billablehoursProfessionalandpublicinterests
Shouldattorneysbemorallyaccountableforthefairnessoftheoutcomestheyachieveforclients?
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Duringtheclass,youwillbeaskedtoconsiderethicsrules(andtheirexceptions)
Guidelinesforevaluatingarule:Whatvaluedoestheruleprotectorsupport?Whatassumptionsareyoumakingabouthowtheruleaffectsbehaviorofclientsandlawyers
Andarethoseassumptionsaccurate?Howshouldonechoosebetweencompetingrules?
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Clientcentered solongasclientsmeansandendsarelawful,lawyershouldhavenoqualmswhethertheyarefairorhurtothers
Autonomyoflawyersisimportant lawyersaremoralagentsentitledtodeclinetobeinstrumentsofinjurytoothers,eveniflawful
Someclientsarebad Badclients(e.g.criminal/fraudulent)areowednoprofessionalconcernorprotection
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Attorneyscanbetempted Conflictruleshelpminimizethepossibilityofabusingtheclientstrustforyourownbenefit
Attorneysmaynotbecompetent Inadditiontoqualitycontrol,acompensationsystemexistswhenlawyersfalltoofarbelowstandard
Legalrulesshouldpromotejustice&fairness Andlawyersshouldcareabouttheseconceptstoo
Legalrulesshouldnotsimplytoservethebar Questioniftheinterestsofattorneysanimatetherule
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TothinklikealawyerUnderstandlegalprocess;analyze;seebothsides;usepreciselanguage;research;utilizefactsandprecedent;constructpersuasiveargument
TothinklikeaprofessionalReflectonthekindoflawyeryouwanttobe;considerthesocialandculturalimpactofyourwork;utilizeyourmoralimagination;bemindful
ofthebalancebetweenyourworkandyourself
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TheStatespolicepowerregulatesbusinessesandprofessions
Courts(ethicsrules,caselaw,RulesofCourt) Legislature(developingbodiesoflawthatgovernthepractice)
BarAssociations(admission,continuingeducationanddisciplinesystem)
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Statesupremecourtsoverseethelegalprofessioninthatstateandmanagethestate
barsanddisciplineprocess
Statetrialandappellatecourtsregulatelawyersappearingbeforethem.
Judge-madelaw;alsoincludesrulesofcourt,e.g.procedure,discovery
CARulesofProfessionalConduct AdoptedbyCASupremeCourtin1927,revisedin1975and1989.Mirrorsome(notall)oftheABAModelRules
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InCA,thelegislatureregulatestheformationandoperationofthebarthroughBus.&Prof.
Code6000,etseq SomeimportantpartsoftheStateBarAct:
FeeagreementsThelawyersdutyofconfidentiality(6068)wasdefinedintheStateBarAct,ratherthanintheCaliforniaRulesofProfessionalConduct
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MandatorybarsAkaintegratedbar
MajorityapproachintheUS,includingCaliforniaVoluntarybars
MinorityapproachBarAssociationsassistthestateinregulatingattorneysandimposingdiscipline
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Lawyersaregovernedbyothersourcesofstatelaw,e.g.CriminalCivil EvidenceCivilProcedure
Thisincludesthelawoflegalmalpractice,breachoffiduciaryduty,andfraud
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Inadditiontostatelawandrules,attorneysintheFederalsystemhave:
Agencypracticerules SECandSarbanes-OxleyAct
Substantiveregulation FTCattemptstoregulatelawyersascreditorsofclients
Courtrulesandprocedures FederalRulesofCivilProcedureregulatestheadvocacyofthelawyersappearingbeforethecourt
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Federaltreatyobligations Tradeagreementsandotherinternationalcommitmentsmayregulatelegalpractice
Becausefederallawisthesupremelawoftheland,theseregulationsmaypreempttraditionalstate-basedregulations
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Anotherveryimportantsourceoflawaffectingattorneys
Ineffectiveassistanceofcounsel(6thAmendment) Limitsonfreespeechoflawyers(1stAmendment)
Advertising;trialpublicity;criticizingjudges;judicialcampaignspeech
IOLTAaccounts(5thAmendmenttakingsclause)Prosecutorialdecisionmaking(5th,14th)Privileges&immunities(lawyerresidencyreqmts)
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TheABAdoesnotformallyregulatethelegalprofession.
Itsethicsrulesareamodelcodethatstatesarefreetoadopt,modify,orreject.
Nevertheless,theABAexertsenormousinfluenceovertheregulationofthelegal
professionatthestateandfederallevelABAModelRules
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ABAModelRules CaliforniaBusinessandProfessionsCode CaliforniaRulesofProfessionalConductWellpointoutwhereandhowCaliforniadepartsfromtheModelRules
ItisreasonabletoexpectanessayquestionwilltesttheCA-ABAdistinction
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TheACRisacontractualrelationshipArisingwhentheclientexpressestheirintentthattheattorneyprovidestheserviceandattorneyeitheragreesorfailstoclearlyindicatetheydo
notwishtorepresenttheclient
thisisimpliedassentACRalsoarisesfromcourtappointments
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NoneedforawrittenagreementNoneedformoneytochangehandsNoneedtoexplicitlysayIwillbeyourlawyer
NoneedformeetingtobeinpersonACRcanbeformedonthephoneorviawebsite!
Noneedforthelawyertohavemettheclient
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Mrs.TogstadsoughtlegaladvicefromattorneyMillerinaconsultationappointment
ShedescribedamedicalmalpracticeincidentconcerningMr.Togstad
AttorneyMillersaidsheprobablydidnthaveacase Saidhewouldconsultwithhispartnerandgetbacktoherifhechangedhismind
Sinceheneverfollowedupwithher,sheassumedhisinitialassessmentwascorrectandshedidnot
bringsuitagainstherhusbandsphysician.
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BythetimeMrs.Togstadgotasecondlegalopinionitwastoolatetosuethedoctorduetothestatuteoflimitations
TogstadssuedattorneyMillerformalpractice CourtfoundanACRexistedwithbothH&W,elementsofmalpracticemetandawarded$650K
Ingroupsof4,discuss: Wasthisafairoutcome?Whyorwhynot? WhatshouldMillerhavedone?
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Notgivenanopinionanddeclinedthecase Encouragedhertogettheadviceofadifferentlawyer(referral)
Reviewedrecordsandconsultedexpertsbeforeadvisingher
Encouragedhertogetasecondopinion Sentalettermemorializingtheconversation
Couldhaveclearedupmisunderstandingandcreatedarecord
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WhethertheyarenotyetornottakenMustusereasonablecareinadvisingMustkeepconfidentialanyinformationreceivedMustprotectanyclientpropertyreceivedMustnotbeadverse
Mustdeclinerepresentationofothersinthesameorrelatedmatter
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Maybedefinedandlimitedbyagreement Limitedscoperepresentationrequiresinformedconsent.SeeRule1.2(c)
Lawyershouldpursueclientsmatterbutmustneveradviseclienttocommitacrimeorfraud.SeeRule1.2(d)
Itisappropriatetogiveyouropiniononthelikelyconsequencesofyourclientsconduct6/4/11 29
ClientdecidesobjectivesofrepresentationClientdecideswhethertotestify;plead;acceptsettlementoffer;waivejurytrial;orappeal
Attorneydecideslaw,tactics,strategy Thatrequiresconsultingwiththeclientregardingthemeanstopursuetheobjectives
Discussion:Justhowpracticalisthisdivisionofdecisionmaking?
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ByclientAsdeterminedbycaselawCanfireforanyreasonandfornoreason
EvenforsomediscriminatoryreasonsDischargingacourt-appointedattorneymaydependonapplicablelaw
Clientwithdiminishedcapacitymaylackcapacity6/4/11 31
Withdrawalismandatorywhen:ContinuingtheACRwouldbreachethicsrulesorothergoverninglaw(Rule1.16(a)(1));or
Lawyersphysicalormentalconditionmateriallyimpairsthelawyersabilitytocarryouttherepresentation(Rule1.16(a)(2));or
Thelawyerisdischarged(Rule1.16(a)(3)). CARPConmandatorywithdrawal(3-700(B)),issubstantiallysimilartotheABArule1.16(a).
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Withdrawalispermissivewhen: Canbedonewithoutmaterialadverseeffectsontheinterestsoftheclient(Rule1.16(b)(1))
Clientpersistsinconductthelawyerreasonablybelievesiscriminal/fraudulent(Rule1.16(b)(2))
Clienthasusedlawyersservicestoperpetuateacrimeorfraud(1.16(b)(3))
Clientinsistsuponactionthatisrepugnanttothelawyerandwithwhichthelawyerhasa
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Withdrawalispermissivewhen: Clienthasbreachedanobligationtothelawyerandwaswarnedthatthelawyerwouldwithdrawifthebreachwasnotremedied.(Rule1.16(b)(5))
RepresentationwillundulyburdenthelawyerfinanciallyortheclienthasrenderedtheACR
unreasonablydifficult(Rule1.16(b)(6))Othergoodgrounds(1.16(b)(7))
CARPCat3-700(C),providesimilargroundsforpermissivewithdrawal,andthensome
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Deathorincapacityoflawyer Lawyersincapacityincludeslossoflawlicense
Deathorincapacityofclient CourtordersterminationoftheACR
TypicallyresultsfromanordergrantingdisqualificationWhenlawyerchangesfirms
ClienthastherighttodecidewhowillcontinuewiththeACR Manyrecommendthedepartinglawyerandthepriorfirmwriteajointletteraskingtheclienttodecidewhowillrepresentitgoingforward
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Whendoestherelationshipend?Whentheworkisdone?Whenyouhavenotdoneanyworkforalongtime?Howlong?
Episodicclientsmayhavereasonableexpectations IftheACRisongoing,thentheattorneysdutytothecurrentclientremainineffect(sodoesliabilityforany
failuretoperformBestpractice:Clarifyambiguousrelationships
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DutiesofAttorneyCompetence(Rule1.1)Diligence(Rule1.3)Communication(Rule1.4)ReviewcomponentsofB&PC6068
Confidentiality(Rule1.6,1.9)andprivilege
Theentityasclient(Rule1.1)
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