Legal ethics refresher — Cincinnati
Sam Duran’s ethics presentation at Graydon Head addressed a variety of topics, and was especially valuable because he helped attendees prioritize concerns and issues in the legal industry. Many points - such as social media, newsletters, bios, and other public communication - sparked additional conversation among the attendees and sharing of experiential knowledge and “this is what we do” antidotes. Attendees were highly receptive of the speaker and content.
Legal ethics refresher — Cleveland
Speaker Deborah Coleman, of Coleman Law LLC, held an ethics refresher to the Cleveland chapters of LMA and ALA on March 3 at the City Club in Cleveland. She discussed the mistakes commonly made in law firm advertising and the implications they may lead to, including malpractice liability, disqualification, suspension, claims under consumer protections laws and criminal charges. Other topics included the usage of stock photography, characterization claims, self-congratulatory statements and social media usage. The learning session closed in an open forum, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions to gain a better understanding of important business practices. LMAO members are welcome to download Coleman’s presentation (you must login to the LMA website to access the file).What is right?
Ethical rules all marketers should know — Columbus
On March 25, 20 LMAO members and guests convened in Columbus to hear from Karen Rubin, chair of the Ohio State Bar Association's Professional Conduct Committee and ethics opinions subcommittee. Her presentation discussed the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct as as they pertain to advertising, blogs, social media and other attorney communications - as well as the responsibilities of non-attorney professionals involved with those activities. Rubin also provided several eye-opening case studies showing what not to do.
In addition to building awareness of Ohio ethics rules, she reminded attendees that that vast majority of communications span state and even national borders. Therefore, it's important to be familiar with ethics rules in many jurisdictions, especially in areas where firm's clients and referral sources are located and where the firm is working to expand awareness.