Join us for How New Lawyers Can Avoid Malpractice
During their First Few Years of Practice
January 18 at 5:30 PM • Happy Hour to Follow
1 hour Ethics CLE applied for
Free to CDLA Members
Presented by
Troy R. Rackham, Fennemore Craig, P.C.
Nancy Cohen, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Sponsored by:
Practice tips and suggestions that New Lawyers can employ to help them avoid legal malpractice as they start out as brand new attorneys.
The event will concern methods and practice tips to avoid malpractice. The discussion will include:
- Prompt communication and response to partners, and when appropriate, to clients. RPC 1.4.
- Addressing and facing mistakes early. When a New Lawyer discovers that a mistake has been made, he/she should inform his/her partner immediately so that the problem can be remedied. Never misrepresent the situation and try to resolve yourself in order to avoid getting into trouble. RPC. 1.1, 1.3, 8.4.
- Never miss deadlines by useful calendaring and list keeping methods. Blindly relying on assistants or paralegals can lead to trouble. Additionally, do not take on more than you can accomplish so that you are able to manage deadlines. RPC. 1.1, 1.3.
- Establishing and effectively communicating the scope of representation to prospective and existing clients so that misunderstandings don’t lead to malpractice actions. RPC 1.2.
- Exercising caution to maintain confidentiality, trade secrets, and client proprietary interests when communicating via email, making initial disclosures, and conducting discovery. RPC 1.1, 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 1.18.
- Advancing only meritorious defenses and positions, handling disagreements with other attorneys and/or partners in your firm about defenses and/or positions, and remembering that, at the end of the day, a New Lawyer has to protect his or her license. RPC 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 5.2.
- Lastly, discussing how important honesty and respect is in the practice of law. Whether billing, dealing with opposing counsel, or providing clients with bad news, providing folks with information both honestly and with respect will help avoid malpractice actions or problems with the OARC. RPC 8.4.
To Attend via Webinar, Click Here
See you there!
New Lawyers Committee
- Matthew Broderick, Board Liaison, Fennemore Craig
- Katherine Petrides, Co-Chair, John Rodman & Associates
- Meg Gibson, Co-Chair, Majors Gibson
- Erin Erhardt, Vice-Chair, Patterson & Salg
- Kyle Joyce, Vice-Chair, Montgomery | Amatuzio | Dusbabek | Chase LLP