attorney ethics

Published on: January 5, 2016

Oregon State Bar Proposes Changes to Public Disciplinary Process for Lawyers

By Laura Orr

“State lawyer group mulls controversial changes to make pending disciplinary records off-limits to public,” Portland Tribune, 05 January 2016, by Nick Budnick:

Excerpt: “The state agency that oversees the investigation of ethics complaints against 15,000 Oregon lawyers is considering changes that would hide from public view most pending complaints and destroy all public records of dismissed complaints after three years, a radical increase in secrecy for a system that’s received national praise for its transparency….” [Link to full Portland Tribune article.]

The article links to OSB disciplinary process reports, also currently linked to from the OSB homepage.

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Published on: March 23, 2015

Law Practice: Ethical Duty of Technology Competence

By Laura Orr

“13 States Have Adopted Ethical Duty of Technology Competence,” by Robert Ambrogi, 3/16/15:

“In 2012, something happened that I called a sea change in the legal profession: The American Bar Association formally approved a change to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct to make clear that lawyers have a duty to be competent not only in the law and its practice, but also in technology….” [Link to full blog post.]

Published on: January 14, 2015

Crowdfunding Ethics for Oregon Lawyers

By Laura Orr

See Oregon Law Practice Management, 1/12/15: Crowdfunding Your Law Practice

Excerpt: “Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people, typically via the Internet….” [Read full OLPM blog post.]

Published on: August 13, 2014

Lawyer Ethics: Advising Marijuana Users and Businesses (Washington State)

By Laura Orr

From Trial Ad (UW): Ethics of Advising Marijuana Users and Businesses

Excerpt: “Under RPC 1.2(d), a “lawyer shall not counsel a client to engage, or assist a client, in conduct that the lawyer knows is criminal . . .” Does this cover lawyers advising clients under Washington’s new marijuana law, when possession is still a crime under federal law? ….” [Read full blog post.]

The Comment period for the proposed rule ends September 6, 2014.

Published on: October 25, 2012

Clients and Lawyers Play the Conflict Game (Portland Tribune article)

By Laura Orr

“Tough divorce attorneys smack into wall of conflict,” by Peter Korn, Portland Tribune, October 25, 2012.

Excerpt: “This is what happens when you get a reputation as the roughest, toughest, you-don’t-want-to-mess-with-me divorce attorney in town.

Jody Stahancyk is the attorney in question, and love her or hate her, if you’re getting a divorce, she’s the lawyer you don’t want representing your spouse. Or at least, that’s what a number of people seem to think, since Stahancyk has become the prime target of a legal but maybe not so ethical strategy called “conflicting out.

Here’s how it works:…” [Link to full Portland Tribune article.]