Legal Ethics During the Covid-19 Crisis: Protecting Yourself & Your Client

No one knows what the legal profession will look like after this pandemic, but there will be changes. Many of the changes, such as working from home, have already become the new status quo. One thing that won't change is the lawyer's obligation to put the client's interest first. 

During the pandemic, if your health or other personal needs trump your practice of law, you may ignore or mishandle a client's matter - and the disciplinary authorities won't care how it happened. In this program, taught by former Ethics Committee chair and legal ethics attorney Marc Garfinkle, attorneys will learn how to protect clients by protecting themselves, and how to protect themselves by protecting their clients.  

What would happen if you were to suddenly become ill? Would your client's matters all be protected? What would happen if your client, or several of them, suddenly get ill or incompetent? Do you know how you would proceed in their best interests? Concerned that your home-based WiFi or cloud-based network may have insufficient security for your clients? You should find out. This course will help attorneys anticipate some worst-case scenarios, get ahead of them, and implement a simple disaster plan to ensure that your clients and your practice will be protected.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the major ethical issues facing attorneys during the pandemic
2. Discuss what to do if you or your clients suddenly become incapacitated
3. Implement a disaster plan to protect your clients, your license, and your practice