Slides from Webinar on Ethics and Security
Today, I presented a webinar on Ethics and Security for Law Firms During COVID-19. I discussed PA ethics rules relating to the obligation to keep data secure, setting up a home workspace, and common scams. Below are the slides. Law Firm Remote Work Securi… by Jennifer Ellis on Scribd
Pennsylvania Bar Association Ethics Opinion on Remote Work Spaces for Attorneys
The Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility released, what I believe to be the first guidance opinion related to working from home due to COVID-19. Since PBA’s opinions are behind a pay wall, I have uploaded this document so you may read it. As usual, I will ask PBA’s forgiveness for […]
Working from Home: Internet Connections
The first critical aspect when working from home these days is a secure Internet connection. Many people have either cable or fiberoptics connections at home. (Think Comcast for cable or Verizon Fios for fiberoptics). However, do not assume that your staff has a good, secure Internet connection. Ask employees what they have, and of course, […]
A Word About Zoom for Lawyers
Many lawyers have asked me what I think about Zoom right now for lawyers. I will share some thoughts. Two Ways to Look at Zoom and Video Communication As someone who is both an ethics lawyer and into technology, I am of two minds about the Zoom situation. Zoom lacks a certain level of encryption […]
Lawyers & Employees Working From Home: General Concepts
I promised the PBA Solo and Small Firm Section that I would address specific issues related to managing employees when working from home. I reached out to ask people what they wanted to know about, and there were a lot of questions. Given this, I have decided to break it up into pieces. The number […]
Real Estate Agents, Stop Calling Me Darn It
Ok, I need to vent. And you, my fine readers, can listen, or rather read. Or not. Whatever. First, I am an ethics lawyer. In my profession, we have a lot of very serious rules. Failure to follow them can get us in a lot of trouble. So I am having a lot of trouble […]
Sample Disclaimer for Law Firm Websites
Attorney Websites Need Disclaimers Many lawyers do not have disclaimers for their websites. This is a problem. All law firm websites should have appropriate disclaimers. This includes a disclaimer at the bottom of each page, and a complete disclaimer on a separate page. The every page disclaimer should link to the complete disclaimer. Here I provide […]
Does Lying about Past Drug Use on a Bar Application Cause Trouble?
Question: Can an attorney be disbarred in Illinois if they lie about drug use in their bar application? I am licensed in PA and do not recall any questions about past drug use on the bar application. I quickly looked at the application under character and fitness on the Illinois bar site, and I do […]