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The Scam that is Called "Legal Ethics"

A lawyer in California completely blew an appellate deadline, almost totally preventing his client's case from being heard.  When the Court of Appeals warned the lawyer that he had to file a brief or else his client would be screwed, the lawyer did nothing.  Was this lawyer disciplined for this client-harming conduct?  Not a chance.In Illinois, a lawyer who made a simple bookkeeping error that did not harm his client in the slightest was formally disciplined.  The State Bar wanted to suspend the lawyer from practicing law for a year.  For harming no one.  A lawyer who blows a client's case isn't worthy of the State Bar's time; where as a lawyer who made a bookkeeping error that harmed no one was almost suspended from practicing law.  How does that make sense?  Shouldn't legal ethics be about protecting clients?  The moral of the story: Lawyers who hire competent bookkeepers will remain in business to completely screw over clients.continue to full post

Full post as published by Crime & Federalism on January 16, 2009 (boomark / email).