Modern Ethics & the Future of Lawyering

NOTE: There are 6 choices to fulfill the Ethics requirement and no student may take more than one Ethics class from among LAW-132, LAW-150 and LAW-151 (must take both), LAW-152, LAW-153, LAW-154, and LAW-155 without prior approval of John Parry or Libby Davis.

The practice of law is changing and this course considers the ethical expectations and professionalism standards applicable to attorneys in their professional and personal capacity in this changing landscape.  We will examine how a lawyer can, should, and does act in relation to clients, other attorneys, the courts, the legal system, and the broader community, in light of changing technology and the rapid innovation occurring in our industry. Although moral and ethical dilemmas are (regularly) posed and considered, this course is designed to be practical and to encourage application of the ethical rules governing lawyer conduct to real-life situations. To do so, the course will focus on the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the manner in which the regulation of the legal profession is judicially interpreted. We will also briefly look at how the ABA Model Rules are adopted by different jurisdictions and will study those differences in the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct.