Category: Ethics Opinions

Opinion 491

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #491 – 09/12/1978 (43-78) appearance, endorsement of, judges, political activity Topic: Judges; judge-elect; political activity Digest: Judge-elect may not campaign on behalf of candidates for political office Code: Canon 9; EC 9-1, 9-6 QUESTION May a judge-elect campaign on behalf of candidates for political office? … Continued

Opinion 490

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #490 – 07/31/1978 (26A-78) confidences, client consent, duty of lawyer, legal services, partnership, secrets Topic: Confidences and secrets; independent professional judgment; legal service organization Digest: Staff attorneys of legal service organization should not be required to report to its board of directors on the manner … Continued

Opinion 489

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion #489 – 07/31/1978 (26-78) confidences, conflict of interests, client consent, duty of lawyer, employment, legal services, partnership Topic: Conflict of interest; representation of adverse party; legal service organization Digest: Neither lawyer-member of legal service organization’s board of directors nor any lawyer associated with his firm … Continued

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