Professional Responsibility

The ABA Model Rules and the California Rules of Professional Conduct: conflicts, confidentiality, fees, competence and candor. Tested on almost every California essay day.

1 chapter1 hour of reading15 practice questions

Read chapter 1 free Practice essays

Chapters

1Sources, Discipline and Forming the RelationshipThe foundation of Professional Responsibility for the California essay: the ABA Model Rules, the California Rules of Professional Conduct and the State Bar Act; how the State Bar disciplines lawyers and how discipline differs from malpractice; when a lawyer-client relationship forms and what a lawyer owes a prospective client; who decides what in a representation, limited-scope work and advice about illegal conduct, including California’s cannabis comment; the statutory duties in B&P § 6068, including the 30-day self-report; and the ABA-then-California method for every PR essay.56 minFree

How California differs

From chapter 1

CACalifornia distinction

Prospective clients: ABA versus California

General rule (federal / majority)

MR 1.18(c) disqualifies the lawyer only if the information could be significantly harmful to the prospective client. Both persons must give informed consent, confirmed in writing.

California

CRPC 1.18(c) disqualifies the lawyer if the information is confidential under B&P § 6068(e) and rule 1.6 and is material to the matter. Both persons must give informed written consent.

“Material” is a lower bar than “significantly harmful”, so California disqualifies more often. Apply both tests.

CACalifornia distinction

Illegal conduct and the cannabis comment

General rule (federal / majority)

MR 1.2(d) bars counseling or assisting conduct the lawyer knows is criminal or fraudulent. It has no special provision for a conflict between state and federal law.

California

CRPC 1.2.1 also bars conduct the lawyer knows violates any law, rule or ruling of a tribunal. Its comment addresses California law that conflicts with federal law, such as state-licensed cannabis. The lawyer may advise on and help with compliance, but must also explain the federal law.

For a cannabis client, write: permitted under CRPC 1.2.1 and its comment, if the lawyer advises about federal law. Under MR 1.2(d) alone, note the risk: the conduct is a federal crime, and the ABA text has no exception.

CACalifornia distinction

Exceptions to confidentiality

General rule (federal / majority)

MR 1.6(b) lists several permissive exceptions. The lawyer may disclose to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm. The lawyer may also disclose to prevent or remedy some client crimes or frauds that use the lawyer’s services, to get ethics advice, or for self-defense.

California

Apart from client consent, B&P § 6068(e)(2) and CRPC 1.6(b) allow disclosure only to prevent a criminal act likely to cause death or substantial bodily harm. Before disclosing, if reasonable, the lawyer must try to dissuade the client and tell the client of the decision to disclose (CRPC 1.6(c)).

California has no financial-fraud exception. If a client’s fraud will cost a victim money, the ABA lawyer may sometimes disclose; the California lawyer may not. Chapter 3 covers the details.

Lessons

Robert Castellano

Professional Responsibility lecturer

Former State Bar ethics counsel; discipline-defense practice; legal-ethics adjunct.

Our lecturers are AI-voiced teaching personas; the portraits are illustrations.

Video lessons for Professional Responsibility are being recorded.

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