Legal Ethics for Public Service & NGO Attorneys

Legal Ethics for NGO and Public Service Attorneys - Professor Anne Marie King

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 Sandy Patrick or Libby Davis.

• Course Number: LAW-155
• Course Type: Foundational
• Credits: 2
• Enrollment Limit: Determined by the Registrar
• Description: This course emphasizes thoughtful application of the rules of professional conduct in government and nongovernmental or legal aid organization practice. Students will become familiar with the basic rules applicable to all jurisdictions and understand how particular jurisdictions adopt them. Additional themes include professional identity and professionalism.

Students will be asked to think critically about legal ethics and their application, with attention to the unique challenges public sector lawyers face. This course will build practical skills in a supportive environment, specifically in collegial discussion and thoughtful, concise written work. Evaluation is by three short written assignments spread throughout the semester.

Please note: this course will not dwell on some traditional legal ethics subjects such as client trust funds or advertising because they are not relevant to the course focus. Students will be advised of these and other topics that may appear on the MPRE.

• Prerequisite: none
• Note: Offered via Zoom; an optional on-campus meeting room will be available for students wishing to join from a shared platform. Students may join the class from any location, but the on-campus room will support scheduling compatibility with classes meeting shortly thereafter (e.g., 10:00am class).
• Evaluation Method: 3 short papers
• Capstone: no
• WIE: no