Professional and Moral Responsibility of Lawyers

3 credits

The first part of this course focuses on central issues of professional responsibility faced by most lawyers in the daily routine of practice, whether in a large firm, a small firm, or a legal services program. Included will be problems of client confidences, conflict of interest, behavior in court, obligations to represent unpopular clients, and other restrictions on a lawyer's own speech and actions. The second part focuses on the fundamental moral responsibility of lawyers, analyzed both in terms of the rules governing attorney conduct and the principles of ethical philosophy. There also will be a discussion of the professional organizations of the bar in a historical context, and their future challenges. Because of the amount and nature of coverage of on the fundamental moral responsibility of lawyers, this class fulfills the Perspectives requirement in addition to the Professional Responsibility requirement.