Upholding the highest standards of ethics and professionalism, one decision at a time.
The Ethics Committee is dedicated to upholding the standards of ethics and professionalism in the legal profession. As a valuable resource to the entire community, the committee provides feedback and comments on proposed opinions, rules and legislation that impact attorney ethics and professionalism. The committee also writes advisory opinions on ethical issues where guidance is needed and develops educational content to educate the entire profession on ethics issues.
The Ethics Committee works closely with both internal and external ethics groups, including COPRAC and county bar associations, to ensure the highest standards of ethical behavior are upheld within the legal community. By acting as a resource to sections that provide practice area-specific ethics content, the Ethics Committee is committed to promoting ethical conduct and professional responsibility in all aspects of the legal profession.
Do you still have it? Do you think you’ll be able to see the issues in a typical law school exam? Stuart Teicher (the CLE Performer) teaches professional responsibility in law school and he’s going to walk you through one of the exams he recently
We are committed to accessibility! Virtual events are equipped with closed captioning. To request an in-person accommodation, send us a note at accessibility@calawyers.org or contact us at 916-516-1760 for assistance.
Lawyers must ensure their nonlawyer staff acts consistently with the lawyer’s professional obligations. This starts with hiring and avoiding conflicts of interest and continues throughout employment. This program will elaborate on lawyers’ obligations in hiring and training nonlawyer staff appropriately, with a focus on confidentiality, conflicts, and marketing. Â
Lawyers increasingly use artificial intelligence in the practice of law.  The ethical implications range from the risks to the lawyer’s duty of competence, the need to protect confidentiality of client information, and the importance of maintaining effective supervision, not to mention the ethical rules governing legal fees and other issues.  An experience ethics lawyer will discuss the uses of AI in legal practice, how the ethical rules apply, and case studies where lawyers made mistakes or committed misconduct leading to liability, sanctions and discipline.
Do you still have it? Do you think you’ll be able to see the issues in a typical law school exam? Stuart Teicher (the CLE Performer) teaches professional responsibility in law school and he’s going to walk you through one of the exams he recently
We are committed to accessibility! Virtual events are equipped with closed captioning. To request an in-person accommodation, send us a note at accessibility@calawyers.org or contact us at 916-516-1760 for assistance.
We are grateful for the tireless work and dedication of our committee members in the Ethics Committee. Their contributions in providing feedback and comments on proposed opinions, rules and legislation, writing advisory opinions on ethical issues, developing educational content, and working closely with internal and external ethics groups, have helped to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism in the legal profession. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to promoting ethical conduct and professional responsibility.
Suzanne Burke Spencer, Chair
Scott Garner, Vice-Chair
Rachelle Cohen, Vice-Chair
David Samani, Secretary
Merri Baldwin
Carole Buckner
Mallory Chase
Andrew Dilworth
Alison Buchanan
Karen Goodman
David Majchrzak
Dianne Jackson McLean
Kevin Mohr
Toby Rothschild
Neil Wertlieb
Noah Rosenthal
For information on applying to join the Ethics Committee next year or to suggest topics for advisory opinions, contact us at ethics@calawyers.org