Tag Archives: Legal Ethics

Attorney Tip #13 – Know Your Stuff or Get Help

Posted on March 3, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

There are many areas of the law, and no lawyer is an expert in all of them. So before you offer legal advice and/or services that venture into an area of the law that is not within your expertise, be sure … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips | Tagged Awareness, Corporate Tax, IRS, Legal, Legal Ethics, Legal Practices, Work Ethic | Leave a comment

Evaluation of the North Carolina State Bar

Posted on February 10, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

Something is rotten in the state of North Carolina . . . or at least in the State Bar (“Bar”). Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr has called for a full independent review of the Bar, which is the entity … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged Bob Orr, Chief Justice Mark Martin, Disciplinary Action, Disciplinary Complaint, Justice, Legal, Legal Ethics, North Carolina State Bar, Self-Regulation | Leave a comment

Lawyers Are Members of a Privileged Class?

Posted on February 3, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

Shockingly those words were actually uttered by a New York lawyer during a meeting with who he thought was a potential client. The lawyer boasted that “they don’t send the lawyers to jail because we run the country,” that lawyers are “members … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged 60 Minutes, American Bar Association, Attitude, Attorney Misconduct, Awareness, Global Witness, Legal, Legal Ethics, Privileged Class | Leave a comment

It’s National Love Your Lawyer Day!

Posted on November 6, 2015 by The Legal Reformer

The American Lawyers Public Image Association (ALPIA) announced in a press release that November 6, 2015 is National Love Your Lawyer Day and to commemorate the occasion, ALPIA is asking the public to cease lawyer jokes and bashing for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged ALPIA, Client-Side Manner, Judges, Lawyers, Legal, Legal Consumer, Legal Ethics, Legal Practices, National Love Your Lawyer Day | Leave a comment

Should You Pay For Attorney Mistakes?

Posted on August 9, 2015 by The Legal Reformer

Patrick Lamb, an attorney and blogger, wrote about attorney mistakes in his August 6, 2015 post on abajournal.com titled “How lawyers can embrace mistakes.” In his piece, Mr. Lamb suggests that lawyers and law firms should conduct “After Action Assessments,” to … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged ABA Journal, Attorney Mistakes, Awareness, Billing Fraud, Conflict of Interest, Fraudulent Billing, Legal, Legal Ethics, Legal Practices, Patrick Lamb | Leave a comment

The Elderly and Others Beware

Posted on November 8, 2014 by The Legal Reformer

A well-respected elder law attorney in New Jersey who offered seminars on end of life affairs pleaded guilty on Monday to first degree money laundering, admitting she stole millions of dollars from elderly clients. According to the State of New … Continue reading →

Posted in Vetting | Tagged Advice, Attorney Misconduct, Awareness, Barbara Lieberman, Caveat Emptor, Jan Van Holt, Legal, Legal Ethics, Money Laundering, News | Leave a comment

Attorney Tip #8 – Tread Lightly

Posted on September 19, 2014 by The Legal Reformer

What do you do when a client posts a negative review on Yelp, Avvo, Martindale Hubbell or another review website? Do you shoot off a response? Do you provide your side of the story? Given what’s at stake, you should … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips | Tagged Advice, American Bar Association, Avvo, Client-Side Manner, Legal, Legal Ethics, Online Review, Susan Michmerhuizen, Yelp, Your ABA | Leave a comment

Attorney Tip #6 – Be Upfront

Posted on July 18, 2014 by The Legal Reformer

When a client brings you a matter that will likely result in fees higher than the matter’s value, do you advise him/her of that fact? If you hesitated to respond “yes,” even in the slightest, this tip is for you: … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips | Tagged ABA Journal, Awareness, Client-Side Manner, Law Firm, Legal, Legal Consumer, Legal Ethics, News, Self-Regulation, Work Ethic, Yelp | Leave a comment

Judicial Assistance For Litigants Without Lawyers?

Posted on December 13, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

The D.C. Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure recently called out a D.C. Superior Court judge seeking senior status for “discourteous and impatient treatment of litigants.” The Commission was created in 1970 to oversee the conduct of D.C.’s judges. Reading the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged Attitude, Disciplinary Action, Disciplinary Complaint, District of Columbia Superior Court, Gladys Kessler, Judges, Legal, Legal Ethics, Senior status | Leave a comment

You Can’t Judge Attorneys By Their Reputations

Posted on May 25, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

So you’ve hired the most expensive, well-respected lawyer in the city to handle the most important dispute of your life. Think that guarantees you will be well represented? Think again. On May 21, 2013, The Washington Post reported that the Virginia Bar … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged Billing Fraud, Disciplinary Action, Disciplinary Complaint, Family Law, Glenn Lewis, Legal Ethics, Legal Reform, News, Over Billing, Top Attorneys, Virginia Bar Association, Virginia State Bar, Washington Post | Leave a comment