In order to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to comply with the ethical codes of their profession, lawyers need to regularly consult these examples in ethics. The more they read, the more educated they will become about ethics and the obligations of attorneys to their clients. They can use these examples in ethics to help them determine what ethical conduct is required of them and what they can and cannot do in order to uphold that conduct.
A prime example of an ethical example in ethics is the responsibility of lawyers to take honest services and honest money from individuals. This is an example of ethical conduct that all attorneys are expected to follow. Any attorney who takes a fee for planning a case or for assisting a client in taking legal proceedings is required by law to take the services and the money with honesty. Lawyers cannot claim to take any fee or compensation that they do not owe.
Another ethical conduct that all lawyers are required to follow is to abstain from engaging in corrupt practices. This is also an example of ethical conduct that all lawyers must practice. Any attorney who engages in any unethical act is guilty of corruption and he or she must be investigated for this crime. The mere idea that an attorney may be involved in any unethical behavior is repugnant to the principles of justice and fairness that every civilized society espouses.
Just as all attorneys are required to take on the responsibility of taking fees that are due under the law, they are also required to take on the responsibility of taking action when they are morally obligated to do so. If, for instance, a lawyer takes on a case in which he believes that the compensation involved is unjustifiable, he or she must not take the case. The same principle applies to other cases in which he or she believes that a client’s interests are being improperly harmed. A lawyer cannot practice law, if he is unable to defend his or her clients from unlawful actions.
A lawyer does not have to be found to be exhibiting unethical conduct in order to be called ethical. An act is considered unethical only if it tends to degrade the standing of professionals such as judges, juries, police officers, tax officials and other state and government employees. This standard has no exceptions and applies to cases within all branches of the state government, including the executive, the legislative and the judicial branches.
In general, lawyers follow a code of professional responsibility that includes ethical rules on conduct, advertising, disclosure, intellectual property, negligence, professional errors, negligence, reliability and depositions. Each of these is divided into separate categories, each having its own set of principles. In addition to following the rules of conduct, lawyers commit ethical errors when they fail to perform their duties as required. Such failures usually result in malpractice lawsuits. While malpractice lawsuits are filed by those who feel that they have been injured or psychologically affected by the attorney’s performance, the latter are filed by persons who feel that the attorney’s services were substandard.
The codes also cover conflicts of interest that may arise between clients and lawyers. It is important that lawyers and other legal professionals clearly discuss any potential conflict and select a conflict that is acceptable to both parties. A lawyer may, for example, represent a corporate client in a case in which he receives a share of the proceeds if the corporation successfully implements a plan. However, this would contravene the ethical principle of privilege. Such a situation would call into question the integrity of the professional.
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