Intro to Legal Profession May 31

8/6/2019 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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Intro to Legal Profession May 31

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