NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #590 – 04/07/1988 (6-88) Lawyer referral service Topic: Lawyer referral service Digest: Not improper for an attorney to serve on a lawyer referral service committee and receive referrals where referrals are made by the staff on a rotating basis Code: DR 2-103(C), 2-103(C)(1), 5-101(A); EC … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #589 03/18/1988 (25-87) Conflict of interest, lawyer serving as director of client organization Topic: Conflict of interest; lawyer serving as director of client organization Digest: Not per se improper for lawyer to serve as director of client organization or as chair of board of directors; … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #588 – 01/06/1988 (22-87) Confidences, conflict of interest, client consent, municipality, public, real estate, secrets Modified by N.Y. State 629 Topic: Conflict of interest; County Department of Social Services; purchase of client real estate; use of secret information; appearance of impropriety Digest: Lawyer employed by … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #586 -12/15/1987 (28-87) Campaign contributions, judges Topic: Judges, judicial candidates; campaign contributions Digest: Judge or candidate for judicial office may not contribute to any political organization but judicial candidate’s own committee; Judge should encourage family members not to make political contributions prohibited to judge, but … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #584 12/15/1987-(20-87) Dual representation, intermediaries, surrogate parenting contracts Topic: Dual representation; intermediaries; surrogate parenting contracts; Preparation of such contracts; conflict of interest; non-legal services in relation thereto Digest: Attorney may assist in preparation of surrogate parenting contract and provide non-legal consulting services in relation thereto, … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #587 -12/15/1987 (11-87) Conflict of interests Modifies NY State 165 (1970), 173 (1970) and 260 (1972)Topic: Public defender; Private clients; Appearance of impropriety Digest: Proper for a part-time public defender, contacted directly for private representation, to continue such representation even though application for public defender … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #585 – 12/15/1987 (24-87) Contributions by, judges, judicial candidates, political activity Topic: Judges; judicial candidates; campaign contributions Digest: Judge or candidate for judicial office may not contribute to any political organization but judicial candidate’s own committee. Therefore, judge may not belong to bar association whose … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #583 – 12/15/1987 (19-87) Conflict of interests, dual practice, office sharing, partnership, prosecutors Topic: Landlord-tenant relationship between assistant district attorney and assistant public defender; business relationship between assistant district attorney and spouse of a defense attorney Digest: Unless terms or circumstances of arrangement will or … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #581 – 05/04/1987 – (30-86) Judges, political activity Modifies NY State 289 (1973), NY State 558 (1984) Topic: Campaign guidelines for judicial candidates Digest: No restriction on the wearing of a robe by an incumbent judge in campaign material Code: Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon … Continued
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #582 – 05/04/1987 (13-87) Escrow funds Topic: Escrow Funds Digest: Attorney may not retain interest for period between date of deposit and date check clears paid on checks received on behalf of clients and deposited in escrow account Code: Canons 5 and 9; EC 2-17, … Continued