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The Case for Renaming the Professional Ethics Committee by Steven G The Case for Renaming the Professional Ethics Committee By Steven G. Leventhal Effective April 1, 2009, Further consider that your accountant, insurance New York became the last agent or stock broker might propose to refer clients to state to abandon the format you in exchange for discounted legal services to the of the old ABA Code of Pro- referring non-legal professional. Certainly, such an fessional Responsibility and arrangement would not be immoral. In fact, the Rules the last except California to do not forbid non-exclusive reciprocal referral arrange- adopt the format of the ABA ments with non-legal professionals.4 But referrals made Model Rules of Professional in exchange for a quid pro quo—“anything of value,” in Conduct. Now, the time has the words of Rule 7.2(a)—are prohibited. come for the New York State The Rules are not exclusively or even primarily a Bar Association to join the statement of the moral obligations owed by an attor- vanguard by changing the ney. Rather, many of the Rules prioritize an attorney’s name of its Professional Ethics confl icting obligations or regulate commercial aspects Committee to the Professional Conduct Committee. This of the practice of law. The Rules provide an ethical name would more accurately describe the function of framework for the practice of law.5 the committee and, for the reasons that follow, would better promote its goals. The touchstone of the client-lawyer relationship is the lawyer’s obligation to assert the client’s position Logic and experience indicate that the vast ma- under the rules of the adversary system, to maintain jority of attorneys are honest, and genuinely wish to the client’s confi dential information except in limited do the right thing. The goal of the Professional Ethics circumstances, and to act with loyalty during the pe- Committee is to assist honest attorneys in avoiding riod of representation.6 ethical missteps before they occur by providing advice concerning their obligations under the New York Rules A lawyer’s responsibilities in fulfi lling these many of Professional Conduct (the “Rules”).1 roles and obligations are usually harmonious. In the Many people use the words “morality” and “eth- course of law practice, however, confl icts may arise ics” as if they had the same meaning. This is under- among the lawyer’s responsibilities to clients, to the standable, because the two words have similar mean- legal system and to the lawyer’s own interests. The ings. Morality comes from the Latin word mores, for Rules of Professional Conduct often prescribe terms the customs and conventions of a community. Ethics for resolving such confl icts. Nevertheless, within comes from the Greek word ethos, for the characteristic the framework of the Rules, many diffi cult issues of spirit or tone of a community. But in the applied con- professional discretion can arise. The lawyer must text of professional ethics, it is inaccurate and unhelp- resolve such issues through the exercise of sensitive professional and moral judgment, guided by the basic ful to think of morality and ethics as having the same 7 meanings. principles underlying the Rules. It is unhelpful to think of professional ethics in To illustrate the difference between morality and moral terms, because doing so implies a moral failure ethics in the professional context, suppose that you among attorneys and tends to alienate honest members represent the seller at a real estate closing, and that of the bar, who take rightful pride in their personal in- your client asks you to distribute the balance of escrow tegrity. Further, the blurring of the distinction between funds in a check payable to cash. If you were to comply morality and ethics suggests to unsuspecting attorneys with this request would you have acted immorally? that they may reason out an ethical issue using com- Certainly not; but the Rules of Professional Conduct mon sense, and simply take the action that seems to require that all withdrawals of escrow funds be made them, by their own personal standards of morality, to only to a named payee and not to cash.2 be the right thing to do. However, many of a lawyer’s Similarly, the Rules regulate attorney advertising in professional obligations are not self-evident, and a ways that are not always intuitive. For example, an at- lawyer who relies on his or her own moral instincts torney advertisement must include the name, principal rather than on the Rules of Professional Conduct does law offi ce address and telephone number of the lawyer so at the risk of engaging in unintended misconduct. or fi rm whose services are being offered.3 The Rules set forth the minimum level of conduct be- 60 NYSBA Municipal Lawyer | Spring 2012 | Vol. 26 | No. 2 low which no lawyer can fall without being subject to “Professionalism” in the practice of law is a goal to disciplinary action.8 which we should all aspire. But attorney professional- ism is broader in concept than the minimum standards Some laws prohibit conduct that is inherently of professional conduct established by the Rules of immoral, such as murder and larceny. This type of Professional Conduct. In its mission statement, the misconduct is known as a malum in se. It is prohibited New York State Bar Association Committee on Attor- because it is wrong. But some laws prohibit and even ney Professionalism defi nes “attorney professionalism” criminalize conduct that would otherwise be perfectly as “dedication to service to clients and a commitment moral because we fi nd it a safer, more economical or to promoting respect for the legal system in pursuit more effi cient way to organize our society. The Vehicle of justice and the public good, characterized by exem- and Traffi c Law and the Internal Revenue Code are plary ethical conduct, competence, good judgment, examples of laws that prohibit many kinds of conduct integrity and civility.”11 that are not inherently immoral. This type of mis- conduct is known as a malum prohibitum. It is wrong To some, it may seem heretical to suggest that there because it is illegal. Similarly, the Rules prohibit many is a distinction to be made between morality and ethics kinds of professional conduct that is not inherently or between professionalism and ethics; and certainly wrong.9 The Rules of Professional Conduct are the attorneys have moral and professional duties that may rules of the road for the practice of law. sometimes transcend their obligations under the Rules of Professional Conduct. In appropriate cases, courts In today’s modern, pluralistic society, collective may look beyond the Rules in determining the profes- moral values are more diffi cult to discern than they sional obligations of an attorney.12 However, by adopt- were in 1908, when the ABA Canons of Professional ing the Rules effective April 1, 2009, New York joined Ethics were fi rst adopted and the profession was less nearly all other states in moving away from a value diverse. Today, collective moral values are obscured based system having its origin in the 1908 ABA Canons by constant changes brought about by successive of Professional Ethics, to a more modern system based waves of immigration, progressive social movements, on policy choices, embodied in the 2009 rules of Profes- and the increased mobility of modern life. In some sional Conduct, as amended in 2010. ways, the communications revolution has reduced the world to a single, multi-cultural community where Some have argued that a change in the name of the disparate values are no longer blended into a single Professional Ethics Committee would leave practitio- ethical consensus. Our philosophical differences are ners unable to fi nd it. Needless to say, this concern may not just cultural in origin. Religious ethicists follow the be addressed by a listing in the Association directory doctrine of their faith. Social activities are guided by under “Professional Ethics Committee” that refers their particular views of social justice. Bar associations members to the newly renamed “Professional Conduct have come to realize that diversity in membership Committee.” enriches an organization by introducing new perspec- Others have expressed reluctance to abandon a tives, and is essential if bar associations are to attract descriptive term that is used by other bar associations, new members and remain relevant as our society and law schools, the bar exam, and continuing legal educa- profession continue to evolve. tion programs. However, progress in the use of more To be sure, an attorney may, in some instances, accurate nomenclature is not a revolutionary concept. violate the Rules by engaging in morally culpable mis- Five state bar associations have adopted names that conduct such as the misappropriation of escrow funds better refl ect the function of their ethics committees or the subornation of perjury. But such infractions are (e.g. Arizona (Committee on the Rules of Professional the business of the grievance committee and, where Conduct (“Ethics Committee”)), California (Com- appropriate, the district attorney’s offi ce. They are not mittee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct), the business of the Professional Ethics Committee. Illinois (Standing Committee on Professional Conduct), Rather, the Professional Ethics Committee is engaged Vermont (Professional Responsibili ty Committee) and in providing assistance to honest attorneys in avoid- Washington (Rules of Professional Conduct Com- ing ethical missteps before they occur. This is accom- mittee)).13 Here, our Association should proudly join plished through advisory opinions about an inquiring those bar associations leading the way to a modern attorney’s proposed future conduct and educational understanding of a lawyer’s professional obligations programs about the Rules of Professional conduct by adopting a more accurate and more helpful name and the body of law that has grown up around them.
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