Category: Ethics Opinions

Opinion 488

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #488 – 07/17/1978 (35-78) advertisements, law degree, name, use of Topic:  Academic degrees; advertising and publicity; puffery Digest: Lawyer may display and publicize LL.B. or J.D., but not both degrees Code:  DR 2-101(A), (B) and (C)(1) QUESTION May a lawyer who has been awarded a … Continued

Opinion 487

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics     Opinion #487 – 07/10/1978 (33-78 accounting, advertisements, holding out, labor, law, news, partner, self-specialization )Topic: Advertising and publicity; identification of areas of practice; representation of experience Digest: Advertising may contain truthful statements concerning lawyer’s experience, but special care should be taken to avoid ambiguities tending to … Continued

Opinion 486

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #486 – 06/19/1978 (24-78) existing clients, confidences, disclosure, duty of lawyer, secrets, suicide Topic: Confidences of client; suicide, disclosure of intent to commit Digest: Guidelines for lawyer whose client discloses intent to commit suicide. Lawyer may take appropriate action to prevent suicide, including disclosure of … Continued

Opinion 485

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #485 – 06/02/1978 (19-78) existing clients, confidences, disclosure, legal services, secrets Topic: Confidential communications; disclosure of client confidences by Legal Aid lawyers to not-for-profit research organization Digest: Not proper for Legal Aid lawyers to divulge clients’ confidences to not-for-profit research organization in absence of clients’ … Continued

Opinion 484

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #484 – 05/19/1978 (22-78) appearance, conflict of interests, part-time public, town/village, zoning board Clarifies 292 Topic: Zoning Board of Appeals; lawyer-member of municipal board; conflict of interest Digest: Lawyer-member of town’s Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as his partners and associates, may practice before … Continued

Opinion 483

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #483 – 05/10/1978 (133-77) appearance, defamation, duty of lawyer, opposing counsel Topic: Defamation; suit against opposing counsel Digest: Lawyer may sue opposing counsel for defamation while continuing representation in lawsuit during which alleged defamation occurred only under limited circumstances Code: Canon 9; EC 7-37, 9-2; … Continued

Opinion 482

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #482 – 04/10/1978 (12-78) appearance, conflict of interests, client consent, municipality, partnership, part-time public, town/village Topic: Conflicting interests; Town Attorney Digest: Member of law firm which represents client in litigation involving town may accept employment as part­time town attorney if town retains independent counsel with … Continued

Opinion 481

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #481 – 03/28/1978 (139-77) appearance, estate, wills Topic: Wills; draftsman as executor for estate Digest: Under certain circumstances lawyer may offer his services as executor in the course of drafting will Code: EC 5-6 QUESTION May a lawyer, in the course of drafting his client’s … Continued

Opinion 480

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #480 – 03/01/1978 (130-77) existing clients, conflict of interests, defamation, disclosure, duty of lawyer, employment, misconduct, solicitation Topic:  Duty to report violation of Disciplinary Rule; former client; conflict of interest Digest: Lawyer may divulge his suspicion of another’s misconduct to an appropriate authority, but should … Continued

Opinion 479

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #479 – 02/28/1978 (33-74) confidences, criminal practice, disclosure, fraud, illegal conduct, plea bargaining, secrets, unlawful or Topic:  Client’s confidences and secrets; past crimes disclosed to lawyer; plea bargaining Digest: Lawyer should not reveal client’s confidences or secrets learned during the course of representation, even though … Continued