Off to a Good Start Part I: The Ethics Of Client Selection

When good attorneys get sued for legal malpractice or embroiled in a disciplinary proceeding, the problem can usually be traced back to the decision to take on a client or legal matter, or a flaw in the terms of the retention. “Off to a Good Start,” led by attorney Daniel Abrams and designed to help the junior or intermediate lawyer, explores the applicable law and ethics rules most relevant to client selection and retention.

In Part I of “Off to a Good Start,” Mr. Abrams addresses ethics and client selection, and covers, among other things, assessing a prospective client, types of clients to avoid, duties to prospective clients, whether and when to send a non-engagement letter, and dealing with prospects on the Internet. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain knowledge and skills to ethically attract the “good clients”
2. Identify and avoid the “bad clients”
3. Assess an attorney’s duties to prospective clients

This course originally appeared as a part of our September 2016 Bridge the Gap Event.