Ethical Lawyering in Massachusetts - Research and Markets

This comprehensive treatment of ethics offers practical guidance on lawyers' duties to clients, to the court, to colleagues, and to third parties. Chapters are offered on ethics for lawyers in particular practice areas, including business, estate planning, personal injury, divorce, real estate, and criminal defense. This popular manual also gives you practical insight into the disciplinary process and how to avoid malpractice. A must-have manual for new and seasoned lawyers alike.

Chapter 01 - Sources of Ethical Authority in Massachusetts

Gilda Tuoni Russell,

Chapter 02 - Lawyer Marketing

David A. Kluft, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers

Chapter 03 - Taking the Case: Conflicts of Interest

Anthony E. Abeln, Esq.,
Morrison Mahoney LLP
Alan Everett Brown, Esq.,
Morrison Mahoney LLP

Chapter 04 - The Attorney-Client Relationship

Jeffrey D. Woolf, Esq.,
Office of the General Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers
Exhibit 4A - Sample Letter of Proposed Representation
Exhibit 4B - Sample Fee Agreement

Chapter 05 - Fee Agreements

Timothy J. Dacey, III, Esq.,
Goulston & Storrs, PC
Exhibit 5A - Contingent Fee Agreement Form A
Exhibit 5B - Contingent Fee Agreement Form B
Exhibit 5C - Model Fee Agreements

Chapter 06 - Duties to Clients

James S. Bolan, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP

Chapter 07 - Duties to Colleagues

Gwen Nolan King, Esq.,
Nolan King Law

Chapter 08 - Duties to Courts

Sara N. Holden, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP

Chapter 09 - Duties to Third Parties

Sara N. Holden, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP

Chapter 10 - Getting Paid

Heather L. LaVigne, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers

Chapter 11 - The Disciplinary Process

James S. Bolan, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP
Sara N. Holden, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP
Exhibit 11A - Diversion Program Policy Statement
Exhibit 11B - Provisions on Reinstatement (Supreme Judicial Court Rule 4:01, § 18)
Exhibit 11C - Board of Bar Overseers Policies and Practices

Chapter 12 - Ethics Issues for Business Lawyers

Holly Jones,
Maselan & Jones, PC
Mary A. McCooe, Esq.,
Maselan & Jones, PC
Exhibit 12A - Letter Agreement Regarding Consent to Multiple Representation of Initial Investors in Organizing a Corporation and Acting as Its General Counsel
Exhibit 12B - Letter Agreement Regarding Lawyer Serving on Board of Directors
Exhibit 12C - Consent to Representation When General Counsel Is a Shareholder or Is Investing in the Corporation on Formation

Chapter 13 - Ethics Issues in Insurance Defense

Anthony E. Abeln, Esq.,
Morrison Mahoney LLP
Alan Everett Brown, Esq.,
Morrison Mahoney LLP

Chapter 14 - Ethics Issues for Personal Injury Lawyers

Philip N. Beauregard, Esq.,
Beauregard, Burke & Franco
Michael Franco, Esq.,
Beauregard, Burke & Franco
Exhibit 14A - Mass. R. Civ. P. 1.5(f), Form A
Exhibit 14B - Mass. R. Civ. P. 1.5(f), Form B
Exhibit 14C - Contingent Fee Letter

Chapter 15 - Ethics Issues in Intellectual Property

Jerry Cohen, Esq.,
Burns & Levinson LLP

Chapter 16 - Ethics in Estate Planning

Melissa Langa, Esq.,
Bove & Langa, PC
Molly R. Soiffer, Esq.,
Bove & Langa, PC
Exhibit 16A - Sample Physician Statement (Client Competent)
Exhibit 16B - Sample Physician Statement (Client Not Competent)
Exhibit 16C - Sample Engagement Letter for Spouses (Joint Representation)
Exhibit 16D - Sample Withdrawal Letter When a Joint Representation Fails
Exhibit 16E - Checklist for Joint Representation
Exhibit 16F - Guide for Representing Members of the Same Family
Exhibit 16G - Sample Conflict Waiver
Exhibit 16H - Excerpt from “Representing Clients with Diminished Capacity,” by Constance V. Vecchione, Esq.

Chapter 17 - Ethics Issues for Divorce and Family Lawyers

Donald L. Pitman, III, Esq.,
The Pitman Law Offices LLC

Chapter 18 - Ethics Issues for Government Lawyers

Joseph M. Makalusky, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers
Tasha Marshall, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers

Chapter 19 - Ethics Issues for Real Estate Lawyers

Adam C. LaFrance, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers

Chapter 20 - Ethics Issues for Civil Litigators

Daniel K. Gelb, Esq.,
Gelb & Gelb LLP
Gail Kleven Gelb, Esq.,
Gelb & Gelb LLP
Richard M. Gelb, Esq.,
Gelb & Gelb LLP

Chapter 21 - Criminal Trial Practice

Stuart M. Hurowitz, Esq.,
Committee for Public Counsel Services
Exhibit 21A - Resources

Chapter 22 - Ethics, Risk, and Malpractice Avoidance

James S. Bolan, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP
Sara N. Holden, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP
Checklist 22.1 - Prospective Client Checklist
Checklist 22.2 - Documentation Checklist
Checklist 22.3 - Office Telephone Procedures Checklist
Checklist 22.4 - Confidentiality Checklist
Checklist 22.5 - Conflicts Checklist
Checklist 22.6 - Basic Law Office Requirements Checklist
Exhibit 22A - Multiple Representations Create Conflict Hazards
Exhibit 22B - First American Title Insurance Company Agency Review Summary
Exhibit 22C - Loss Prevention Self-Audit
Exhibit 22D - Ten Ways to Decrease Stress . . . and Avoid Legal Malpractice
Exhibit 22E - Sample Conflicts Check Form
Exhibit 22F - Outline of Massachusetts Legal Malpractice Law
Exhibit 22G - Twenty-four Top Rules of the Road
Exhibit 22H - Discipline and Malpractice Standards: When Rules Catch Up with Reality (“World Series” Edition)
Exhibit 22I - You Mail, I Mail, We All Send Email
Exhibit 22J - “In-House” and “Out-House”4
Exhibit 22K - Sample Client Fee Agreement
Exhibit 22L - Sample Records Management Policy

Chapter 23 - Researching Ethics Issues

Paul R. Tremblay, Esq.,
Boston College Law School
Appendices
Appendices
Appendix A - Self-Audits for Law Offices
Appendix B - SJC Rule 3:16: Practicing with Professionalism Course for New Lawyers
Appendix C - MBA Statement on Lawyer Professionalism
Appendix D - Civility Guidelines for Family Law Attorneys
Appendix E - List of Ethics Research Websites and Resources

Author(s)

Editor(s)

James S. Bolan, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP, Newton

Sara N. Holden, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP, Newton Centre

Author(s)

Anthony E. Abeln, Esq.,
Morrison Mahoney LLP, Boston

Philip N. Beauregard, Esq.,
Beauregard, Burke & Franco, New Bedford

James S. Bolan, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP, Newton

Alan Everett Brown, Esq.,
Morrison Mahoney LLP, Boston

Jerry Cohen, Esq.,
Burns & Levinson LLP, Boston

Timothy J. Dacey, III, Esq.,
Goulston & Storrs, PC, Boston

Michael Franco, Esq.,
Beauregard, Burke & Franco, New Bedford

Daniel K. Gelb, Esq.,
Gelb & Gelb LLP, Beverly

Gail Kleven Gelb, Esq.,
Gelb & Gelb LLP, Beverly

Richard M. Gelb, Esq.,
Gelb & Gelb LLP, Beverly

Sara N. Holden, Esq.,
Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP, Newton Centre

Stuart M. Hurowitz, Esq.,
Committee for Public Counsel Services, Worcester

Holly Jones,
Maselan & Jones, PC, Boston

Gwen Nolan King, Esq.,
Nolan King Law, Weston

David A. Kluft, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, Boston

Adam C. LaFrance, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, Boston

Melissa Langa, Esq.,
Bove & Langa, PC, Boston

Heather L. LaVigne, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, Boston

Joseph M. Makalusky, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, Boston

Tasha Marshall, Esq.,
Office of Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, Boston

Mary A. McCooe, Esq.,
Maselan & Jones, PC, Boston

Donald L. Pitman, III, Esq.,
The Pitman Law Offices LLC, Newburyport

Gilda Tuoni Russell,
Los Angeles

Molly R. Soiffer, Esq.,
Bove & Langa, PC, Boston

Paul R. Tremblay, Esq.,
Boston College Law School, Newton Centre

Jeffrey D. Woolf, Esq.,
Office of the General Counsel, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, Boston

Table of Contents

Author(s)

Related Topics

Related Products

Massachusetts Superior Court Civil Practice Manual

Probate Practice: BasicsPlus! (Recorded)

Joint Representations: Avoiding Ethical Issues - Webinar (Recorded)

Valeo 2024 Early Indicators Law Firm Hourly Rate Report

Valeo 2024 London Law Firm Hourly Rate Report