Coverage of the Virginia Bar

Question 1

Professional Responsibility has been tested in both…

Answer 1

essays and short answers. Essays occasionally cross over from/into other areas of law.

Question 2

In 2000, the Virginia Supreme Court adopted a version of the ____________________________________, replacing the earlier Virginia Code of Professional Responsibility.

Answer 2

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct

Question 3

The VA Bar can, but rarely, tests its canons of judicial conduct, a modified version of the…

Answer 3

1990 ABA Code of Judicial Conduct.

Question 4

With essays, use this building block:

Answer 4

“The lawyer has a duty of (duty) to (person/thing)

Question 5

The bulk of duties are those owed to your clients. These are:

Answer 5

1. Confidentiality
2. Loyalty
3. Financial Responsibility
4. Competence
5. …& other reasonable things

Analyze each separately!

Question 6

What are the duties to entities other than your clients?

Answer 6

• Candor/Truthfulness
• Fairness
• Dignity/Decorum
• …& other reasonable things

to

• Court
• Adversaries (parties & their counsel)
• Legal Profession
• Third parties
• Public

Question 7

What is the pneumonic device for all these duties?

Answer 7

Clients love fierce counsel, courts feel differently

Question 8

How do you build a PR essay?

Answer 8

FIRAC: fact triggers, look at duties to each client/conflicting duties to others (within call of the question), rule, application, conclusion