Lawyers owe a duty of professionalism to their clients, opposing parties and their counsel, the courts, and the public as a whole. Those duties include, among others: civility, professional integrity, personal dignity, candor, diligence, respect, courtesy, cooperation and competence. These Guidelines are structured to provide a general guiding principle in each area addressed followed by specific examples which are not intended to be all-encompassing.

Every attorney who enters an appearance in this matter shall be deemed to have pledged to adhere to the Guidelines. Counsel are encouraged to comply with both the spirit and letter of these Guidelines.

Lawyers in California must segregate unearned fees in client trust accounts. (1) A member shall, from the date of receipt of client funds through the period.

The new California Rules of Professional Conduct are now in effect and have changed how law firms and lawyers must identify and analyze conflicts when considering lateral hires. As we have previously reported, the new rules have a tremendous impact on all California attorneys, including for law firms and lawyers navigating attorney departures and law firm transitions.

In this post, which is part of a series, we will examine how certain new conflicts rules, rules 1. Understanding and analyzing actual and potential conflicts is an essential part of any attorney transition. Law firms have or should have internal protocols for checking conflicts when prospective clients or new matters are being considered by the firm. If these conflict protocols are operating correctly, most conflicts can be detected early and either avoided or successfully managed. The new conflict rules, however, place California more squarely in line with the ABA standards, while incorporating the existing California case law on conflicts into its analysis.

Specifically, rule 1.