The Art of Graceful Disagreement: Ethics & Civility

The effectiveness of our adversarial legal system is greatly enhanced through the combination of talent and temperament. The mark of a fine lawyer is the ability to gain both reverence and respect through effective advocacy combined with civility and fair play. This combination decreases animosity in the courtroom, promotes good faith negotiation, and will ultimately both benefit clients and improve the public perception of the profession. This program will provide a thorough examination of a lawyer’s ethical and professional duties both in and out of the courtroom as they relate to civility and professionalism. It will discuss the interaction between advocacy and civility using practical examples frequently faced by criminal and civil law practitioners, and provide recent case law and ethical rules discussing some common issues. It will cover applicable rules of both ethics and professionalism, as well as the duty of respect to the court and the court’s power of contempt.