The Minnesota State Bar Association has published an ebook titled, Minnesota Legal Ethics. It is not a bad book per se. For example, regarding truthfulness it states:
Honesty is a fundamental requirement for lawyers. New lawyers take an oath not to use “falsehood or deceit.” Minn. Stat. § 358.07(9). A lawyer who uses any deceit in litigation commits a misdemeanor and is liable for treble damages. Minn. Stat. 8 § 481.07. The Rules forbid false statements, particularly statements made “knowingly.” See, e.g., Rules 3.3(a), 4.1.
Like the Minnesota State Bar's lawyers rules of professional responsibility, which are essentially the same as the American Bar Association's model rules, it is well written and quite reasonable. The issue is that lawyers ethics are widely ignored. It is an open secret. I know this because many lawyers have told me so and even more importantly I have seen violations of legal ethics, not to mention criminal statutes, not only ignored but rewarded. I even have about the clearest evidence possible.
The reality is that the statues and rules designed to enforce legal ethics are just widely ignored words on paper.
No comments:
Post a Comment