Professionalism and Protection: Disabled Lawyers and Ethical Practice

Authors

  • John V. Jacobi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/lawreview.2008.107

Abstract

Evaluation of attorneys is a difficult task. Law professors, hiring partners, supervising attorneys, judges, and clients all struggle with standards, criteria, and gut instinct. We have to balance the quantity of a lawyer’s work against its quality and thoroughness, her effectiveness “on her feet” against her analytic skills as evidenced in extended writing projects, or her mastery of difficult areas of practice against her ability to relate to clients. Our judgment might be clouded by personality clashes, limited evaluative opportunities, competitive feelings, or bias of one sort or another. These uncertainties all arise in the attorney discipline system. In that system, the profession regulates itself, meaning that practicing attorneys evaluate each other. The Model Rules of Professional Conduct are designed to protect clients and the justice system through the regulation of attorneys primarily by attorneys and not by some outside regulatory force.

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Published

2008-04-26

How to Cite

Jacobi, John V. 2008. “Professionalism and Protection: Disabled Lawyers and Ethical Practice”. University of Pittsburgh Law Review 69 (3). https://doi.org/10.5195/lawreview.2008.107.

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Section

Articles