RPC 5.1 addresses the responsibility of lawyer-supervisors while RPC 5.2 outlines the corresponding duties of lawyer-subordinates. This column discusses different facets of those rules.
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Category: Ethics & the Law
Doing Justice: RPC 3.8 and the Special Responsibilities of Prosecutors
Although most lawyers think their practice area is unique, only one group of practitioners has its own rule: prosecutors.
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The ‘Hot Potato’ Rule: The Coolest Name in Legal Ethics
Under the “hot potato” rule, a law firm cannot drop a client “like a hot potato” to avoid a conflict.
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Crossing Over: Confidentiality at International Borders
Today’s technology becomes a sensitive point at international borders because inspections of electronic devices do not necessarily include the same legal protections as when operating within a country.
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Whatever Happened to Zeal?
Lawyers often speak of “zeal,” but the word disappeared from the Washington professional rules 40 years ago.
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‘Tis the Season: Gifts Given and Received
Around the holidays, lawyers often give gifts to colleagues who have referred work to them or are the recipients of such gifts. In this column, we’ll look at both the mundane and the more suspect aspects of lawyer gift giving and receiving.
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