Consult the State Bar's Ethics Hotline, 071517 CABJ, CBJ - June 2017 #04

Consult the State Bar's Ethics Hotline

No. 2017 #04

California Bar Journal

June 15, 2017

For assistance researching a legal ethics issue, attorneys are reminded to consult the free and confidential State Bar's Ethics Hotline.

California legal ethics research can be particularly time-consuming. First, California is not an ABA Model Rule jurisdiction, so dusting off your law school textbook or simply Googling won't always cut it. On top of that, the applicable California law is often found in multiple sources, many of which are unfamiliar to most lawyers. If you look up the California Rules of Professional Conduct, that's great, but you can't stop there. Consider the following questions: • May an attorney use inadvertently disclosed confidential information?

• Does the "no contact" rule permit an attorney to imply opposing counsel's consent?

• Is a "virtual law office" an ethical alternative for starting a solo practice?

You can get assistance in researching these questions and more by calling the State Bar of California's Ethics Hotline. This call-back service is free, staffed by live people...