Ethics/Professional Responsibility Laws Overview

Ethics rules govern the professional responsibilities of lawyers and provide standards of conduct. Although each state has their own rules, for the most part they are similar to guidelines set by the American Bar Association. An example of an ethics violation would be if a lawyer or firm represents both sides in a lawsuit; this is considered a conflict of interest. Other violations would include the mishandling of client money, or the mismanagement of a case. Lawyers can be disciplined for bad conduct, and even disbarred from practicing law. If you think your lawyer or law firm may be violating ethics rules, a lawyer with expertise in these rules can help determine if there has been bad conduct in a case.