The twice-monthly “Dear Ethics Lawyer” column is part of a training regimen of the Legal Ethics Project, authored by Mark Hinderks, former managing partner and counsel to an AmLaw 200 firm. Read More

February 2025

Q: Dear Ethics Lawyer, I am mid-level partner at a firm with an active litigation practice. I use paralegals a fair amount for various tasks and have always had pretty good experiences with them, but I am not responsible for hiring and firing them, and am not in management at the firm. Recently I used a new paralegal for some work, who happens to be a distant relative of one of our practice leaders and had a bad experience. He didn’t seem to know what he was doing as to a fairly standard task, and I felt like he told me he had completed tasks that he had not done. I don’t want to rock the boat, so I plan to not use this paralegal again, and let other people form their own opinions. Given my role at the firm, this isn’t a problem is it?

Continue Reading February 17 Issue – Duties Re Mis-Performing Staff

Q: Dear Ethics Lawyer, I represent co-defendants in a suit for misappropriation of trade secrets. The plaintiff has offered to settle for a total sum of $1 million. Although both defendants were involved, it appears from the evidence that the plaintiff has a very good case on damages against one but not the other. What are my obligations in presenting the settlement demand to the clients? Should I have thought of this in the engagement process? What do I do now?

Continue Reading February 3 Issue – Joint Representation/Aggregate Settlement