Category: Ethics Opinions

Ethics Opinion 261

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #261 – 09/15/1972 (44-72) advertisements, employee, law office, letterhead, paralegals Overruled (in part) by 500 Topic: Name of paralegal employee on lawyer’s letterhead Digest: It is improper to list the name of a non-lawyer employee on the lawyer’s letterhead Code: Canon 2, 3; DR 2-102(A) … Continued

Ethics Opinion 260

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #260 – 09/15/1972 (42-72) adverse interests, appearance, conflict of interests, partnership, part-time public, part-time public official, public, representation Modified by 587 (1987) Topic:  Public Defender; Private clients: Conflict of Interest; Appearance of Impropriety Digest: Improper for any Deputy Public Defender to represent privately defendant who … Continued

Ethics Opinion 255

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #255 – 06/26/1972 (39-72) existing clients, employee, law practice, paralegals Topic: Signing of letters on lawyer’s letterhead by paralegal employee Digest: A paralegal employee may sign letters on the lawyer’s letterhead when he is clearly designated as a non-lawyer Code: Canon 3; EC 3-6 QUESTION … Continued

Ethics Opinion 254

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #254 – 06/26/1972 (38-72) appearance, assigned counsel, conflict of interests, criminal practice, employee, part-time public Topic: Conflicts of Interest Digest: County legislator’s partners and associates may accept assignments to defend indigent defendants if validity of county law not in question Code:  EC 5-15, DR 5-101; … Continued

Ethics Opinion 253

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #253 – 06/26/1972 (32-72) adverse interests, legal fees, interest, law office, mortgage, real estate Topic: Mortgage to secure fee Digest: Circumstances under which lawyer may accept mortgage to secure payment of fee Code: EC 2-17, 2-23, 5-7, 9-2; DR 2-106, 5-103(A)(1), 5-105 QUESTION Where a … Continued

Ethics Opinion 252

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #252 – 05/24/1972 (29-72) appearance, conflict of interests, judges, part-time public, town, zoning board Topic: Village justice representing private client before village zoning board Digest: Village justice may represent a client before village zoning board only where no conflict of interest and no appearance of … Continued

Ethics Opinion 251

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #251 – 05/24/1972 (31-72) legal fees, matrimonial matters Topic: Receipt of fee in divorce action in addition to that allowed by Court Digest: Provided that by its order the Court has not determined the reasonable value of his services, a wife’s attorney may, after full … Continued

Ethics Opinion 250

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #250 – 05/24/1972 (30-72) judges, judicial campaigns, political activity Topic: Judges; Partisan Politics; Agreement to accept nomination of one party only Digest: Improper for candidate for judicial office to agree with political organization, as a condition to designation by its party, not to accept nomination … Continued

Ethics Opinion 249

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #249 – 05/24/1972 (27-72) adverse interests, conflict of interests, criminal practice, legal services, part-time public, police, public, representation Topic: Conflict of Interest; part-time legal aid lawyers Digest: Counsel for police benevolent association and individual police officers may accept legal aid defense work, absent actual conflict … Continued

Ethics Opinion 243

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #243 – 04/28/1972 (15-72) legal fees, partnership, part-time public official or employee, prosecutors, salary, town/village Topic: Sharing of Salary of Part­time Town Attorney with Partners Digest: It is not improper for a part-time Town Attorney to share his salary with his law partners Code: DR … Continued