Abstract
Professionalism should be a part of every Illinois lawyer’s daily practice. It is not enough to memorize the Rules of Professional Responsibility. Creating a legal practice that reflects one’s ethical duties and lives up the high degree of professionalism required by an attorney is a daily task and one that cannot be accomplished without effort. The rules can be unclear and ethical dilemmas can be ambiguous.
However, in many situations there are no excuses; the rules and case law make clear what is required. There are rules that every attorney should know and ethical duties that should always be implemented. Most importantly, there is help. If you have an ethical question, there are places to turn to find the answer. This article will highlight an attorney’s ethical duties, the Rules of Professional Responsibility and Support and Programs that are available. Incorporating this information into your daily practice will not only help you avoid future difficulties with clients and inevitably the ARDC, it will enable you to create a practice that promotes the very fundamentals of attorney professionalism.
Recommended Citation
Kate T. Hlava,
A Survey of Recent Illinois Ethics Law: Professionalism in Practice,
33
S. Ill. U. L.J.
23
(2008).
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/siulj/vol33/iss1/2