Articles Posted in Ethics

The New York Times reports that big New York City law firms have raised the starting salaries for kids just out of law school to $145,000.  (Large Atlanta firms raised starting salaries to $115,000 earlier this year.)  The $145,000 starting salary figure is striking to me because, without adjusting for inflation, it is exactly ten…

One of my long-term habits may be at least partially vindicated.  An article in today’s New York Times suggests that coffee may be beneficial for health.  Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee substantially reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver. Larger quantities of coffee seem to be especially helpful…

Last month there was a news story about the New Jersey Committee on Attorney Advertising, a panel appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey ruling that attorney advertisements that tout listings such as the “Super Lawyers” listings violate professional responsibility rules against ads that compare lawyers’ services or create an “unjustified expectation about results.” …

A giant of the law entered the Father’s house Thursday night.  The former dean at both Emory and Georgia State law schools, who laid the foundations for greatness at both institutions,  Ben Johnson, Jr. was 91. Dean Johnson was born and raised in Atlanta where he graduated from Atlanta’s Boys High School in 1932. He…

All states allow a lawyer licensed in another state to be temporarily admitted to represent a client in a specific case, generally with the involvement of a local attorney in that state. The Latin term for this is admission “pro hac vice.” I had been admitted pro hac vice for cases in other states from…

Insurance companies typically hire defense counsel for their insureds and manage the litigation. This can create ethical dilemmas for the defense lawyers. Georgia Rule of Professional Conduct 1.2(4) provides that “[when a lawyer has been retained by an insurer to represent an insured, the representation may be limited to matters covered by the insurance policy.”…

The tripartite relationship between insurer, insured and defense counsel is unique in the legal profession, variously described as “deeply and unavoidably vexing” and presenting an ethical dilemma that would “tax Socrates.” Charles Silver, “Does Insurance Defense Counsel Represent the Company or the Insured?,” 72 TEX. L. REV. 1583, 1587 (1994); Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co.…