Legal ethics is the minimum
standards of appropriate conduct within the legal
profession. It is the behavioral norms and morals
which govern judges and lawyers. It involves duties
that the members owe one another, their clients, and
the courts. Respect of client confidences, candor
toward the tribunal, truthfulness in statements to
others, and professional independence are some of
the defining features of legal ethics. Legal ethics
can also refer to the study or observance of those
duties or the written regulations governing those
duties.
In the U.S. each state or territory has a code of
professional conduct which dictates the rules of
ethics. The state bar associations, often in
consultation with the court, adopt a set of rules
that set forth the applicable ethical duties. The
American Bar Association has promulgated the Model
Rules of Professional Conduct which, addresses many
topics like the client-lawyer relationship, duties
of a lawyer, dealings with persons other than
clients, law firms and associations, public service,
advertising, and maintaining the integrity of the
profession. Lawyers who fail to comply with local
rules of ethics may be subjected to disciplinary
actions. Law schools in the U.S. are also required
to offer a course in professional responsibility,
which includes both legal ethics and general matters
of professionalism that do not present.
