Professional Responsibility

The law of professional responsibility is dynamic and ever-changing. As ethical norms and societal views of lawyers evolve, so, too, does the field of professional responsibility. The law of professional responsibility is also expansive. On the most basic level, this field concerns the practice of law itself, attempting to set meaningful standards to govern the conduct and ethics of lawyers and judges in our legal system. At the same time, the law of professional responsibility encompasses the myriad complexities of the attorney-client relationship, including matters such as legal malpractice, ineffective assistance of counsel, attorneys’ litigation to recover unpaid legal fees, conflicts of interest, the attorney-client privilege and the work-product doctrine. Read More …

Professional Responsibility

This Article will address the noteworthy developments in Michigan law of Professional Responsibility during the 2008-2009 Survey period.1 Although Michigan courts issued only two published opinions directly impacting professional responsibility during the Survey period, two Informal Ethics Opinions were adopted by the State Bar of Michigan. In addition, there was a significant opinion by the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board related to professional misconduct, and the Michigan Supreme Court adopted a change to the pro hac vice requirements under the Michigan Court Rules (MCR). Read More …