This seminar will examine the how and why of attorney discipline, providing both a “nuts and bolts” description of the process and a philosophical discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of attorney discipline and whether it is effective in regulating attorneys in high profile cases, where the public is waiting, watching and judging. The panels will use the recent disciplinary complaint against Rudolph Giuliani as a case study.
- The first panel will feature one of the primary authors of the Complaint, attorney Ronald Minkoff, a New York ethics expert. Mr. Minkoff and other panelists will describe the history of the complaint, how the Rules of Professional Conduct and case precedent guided the drafting of the complaint, and what the possible outcomes will be in New York
- The second panel will feature attorneys who practice before the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board and will discuss how the Giuliani complaint would be handled in Pennsylvania, including the procedure, process and the various defenses and arguments that would likely be at issue
- The third panel will be composed of ethics experts, judges and a representative from the Office of Disciplinary Counsel who will explore whether the disciplinary process is the right venue for the sanctioning of this alleged misconduct or whether Rule 11 and other judicial sanctions are better suited for the regulation of high profile attorneys who use the court system for illegitimate purposes. They will also address whether the Rules protect the lawyer who takes on the unpopular cause.
The seminar will provide three ethics credits and will provide you with a basic understanding of how Pennsylvania Discipline is charged, tried and determined along with an important and timely discussion of how to regulate attorneys in our modern society.
All attendees will receive the course book as a digital download. A printed copy of the course book is available, at a discount to attendees, for $40. Additional copies are available at full price. If you wish to purchase the printed version of the course book, please call PBI Customer Service at 800-932-4637. Printed versions of the course book will not be distributed at the course; please allow up to two weeks after the program for the printed versions of the course book to be shipped.