Professional Responsibility: Emerging Issues

This course explores current topics in legal ethics confronting civil and criminal litigators, namely Rule 11; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; the attorney-client privilege, particularly with respect to how the application of the material support provisions of the Patriot Act may alter the function of this privilege as well as the duty of confidentiality; judicial ethics; ethical duties toward pro se litigants; attorneys' fees; and other current debates such as that surrounding the exemption of government attorneys from rule 8.4 (dishonesty, fraud) and Rule 4.2 (contact with represented persons) to allow the pursuit of terrorists through "sting" operations. This course meets the requirement for Professional Responsibility credit.