What do you do if you have an ethical dilemma? Related Articles:

2L, Professional Responsibility

What do you do if you face an ethical dilemma?

• Be careful in speaking about dilemma so as not to violate duties of confidentiality
• The "Rules" allow certain approaches that make it OK.
• E.g., hypotheticals, posed so as not to identify any parties
• Can ask for a formal opinion from the ethics committee
• o Slow!
• o But can almost always rely on opinion and be safe (rarely changed, but sometimes is).
• Can call an "ethics hot line" from bar or similar
• Most large firms have ethics committees, written guidance documents, etc.
• Insurance providers often provide guidance on ethics too (as part of “loss prevention”)