whattoexPectwhenYou ’ reexPecting … toPracticelaw
Professionalism & Ethics Committee Chairs : AnthonyGarcia – GarciaMediation & LindseyGuinand – TheFloridaBar
You graduate law school , study for months , pass the Bar and are sworn in . Congratulations — you are now an attorney ! You ’ re given some initial responsibilities at your place of employment and expected to go about these responsibilities in an ethical manner , of course .
What are some of the basic rules of ethics and professional responsibility to understand ? Here , I will highlight a few that I find to be very important . Practicing with professionalism is a cornerstone of the legal industry , ensures trust amongst attorneys and clients , and fairness in the justice system . Let ’ s explore three areas of ethics
for new attorneys : communication with clients , management of trust accounts , and handling situations where opposing counsel may try and “ pull a fast one .”
Communication with Clients
One of the biggest complaints among the public is lack of communication by counsel to their client . Rule 4-1.4 of the FL . Bar says that “ a lawyer shall promptly inform the client of any decision or circumstance with respect to which the client ’ s informed consent .” 1 Thus , to stay on your client ’ s good side , keep him or her well informed about the status of their case and
let ’ sexplorethree areasofethicsfor newattorneys : communicationwith clients , managementof trustaccounts , and handlingsituations whereopposing counselmaytryand “ pullafastone .”
promptly comply with reasonable requests for information . Transparency creates comfort . Explain legal matters in a non-complex way — keep your client informed of potential outcomes , risks , and alternatives , and receive the appropriate consent needed before making certain decisions on their behalf . Knowledge is power , and a lack of it can create chaos .
Trust Account Management Handling client funds is a critical
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