Ideals and goals of professionalism.

These aspirational guidelines were adopted by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar on May 16, 1990.

As The Florida Bar grows, it becomes more important to articulate our ideals of professionalism and to emulate such ideals by deed. To The Florida Bar, Lawyer Professionalism includes:

(1) a commitment to serve others;

(2) being dedicated to the proper use of one's knowledge to promote a fair and just result;

(3) endeavoring always to enhance one's knowledge and skills;

(4) ensuring that concern for the desired result does not subvert fairness, honesty, respect and courtesy for others with whom one comes into contact, be they fellow professionals, clients, opponents, public officials, including members of the judiciary, or the public;

(5) contributing one's skill, knowledge and influence as a lawyer to further the profession's commitment to serving others and to promoting the public good, including efforts to provide all persons, regardless of their means or popularity of their causes, with access to the law and the judicial system;

(6) educating the public about the capabilities and limits of the profession, specifically what it can achieve and the appropriate methods of obtaining those results; and

(7) accepting responsibility for one's own professional conduct as well as others in the profession, including inculcating a desire to uphold professional standards and fostering peer regulation to ensure each member is competent and public-spirited.

To reinforce and communicate the ideals of lawyer professionalism among our members, and particularly, to take the "abrasions" out of our conduct with others, particularly our colleagues at the Bar, The Florida Bar adopts the following statement of ideals and aspirational goals:

1. Commitment to Equal Justice Under Law and the Public Good Ideal:

   A Florida lawyer should, in both professional and personal conduct, recognize that a license to practice law is a privilege which gives the lawyer a special position of trust, power and influence in our society. This privilege brings corresponding duties, for which the lawyer is accountable to the public, namely, to use that position and power in an honest and fair manner which respects the dignity of others, promotes the public good, and protects our system of equal justice under the law.

   Goals:

   1.1 A lawyer should at all times avoid the appearance of impropriety.

   1.2 A lawyer should counsel and encourage other lawyers to abide by these ideals of professionalism.

   1.3 A lawyer should at all times promote in the general public an understanding of the role of the legal profession in our system of equal justice under law.

   1.4 A lawyer should encourage and support only those judicial candidates who by skill, knowledge, experience, integrity, temperament and commitment to public service are qualified to hold such positions.

   1.5 When considering whether to advertise and what methods of advertising to use, a lawyer's first...