Ethics and Professional Responsibility: How to Comply with ABA’s New Language Access Guidance (On-Demand)

During this program, attorneys will learn how the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility views a lawyer’s obligations when working with clients with whom the lawyer does not share a common language or with clients with whom the lawyer’s communication may be impeded due to a client’s hearing, speech, or vision disability. The program will go through the ABA’s recent guidance and analyze some of the relevant Rules of Professional Conduct implicated – Rules 1.4, 1.1, 8.4 and 5.3. It will also analyze ethics opinions that have grappled with a lawyer’s obligation to supervise experts and provide practical tips for compliance.

Syllabus

1. Overview of ABA Formal Op. 500 and the ABA’s recent guidance
2. Duty of Communication
3. Intersection with ABA’s Recent Efforts Regarding Bias
4. Hiring Trained Professionals / Duty to Supervise

Instructors

Deepika H. Ravi, Esq.

Hilary Gerzhoy, Esq.