Lawyer/client relationship

Question 1

Was ist von privilege/confidentiality geschützt?

Answer 1

Privilege: confidential communications (auch dem lawyer etwas zeigen!)

Confidentiality: all information relating to representatoin

Question 2

Work product doctrine

Answer 2

Voraussetzung: prepared in anticipation of litigation (!)

Rechtsfolge:
a) opinion work (meist): discoverable ganz selten
b) ordinary work product: discoverable in nur civil, if substantial need & undue hardship

Question 3

Malpractice limitation 1: arbitration clause

Answer 3

permitted as long as client is informed of the scope and effect of arbitration clause

Question 4

Malpractice limitation 2: prospectively limiting liability

Answer 4

permitted when client is represented by independet lawyer

Question 5

Malpractice limitation 3: after malpractdice

Answer 5

permitted when
1. client is advised in writing of desirability of seeking independet legal counsel
2. given reasonable opportunity to seek such advice

Question 6

Confidentiality

Answer 6

May reveal, not must reveal in Ausnahmefällen

Question 7

Incompetent lawyer

Answer 7

a) decline or withdraw from representation
b) become competent without unreasonable delay
c) associate with competent clausel

Ausn. emergency exception wenn zB dringend ein Strafverteidiger benötigt wird

Question 8

Was darf lawyer bei client with diminished capacity

Answer 8

Take reasonable necessary protectice actions, wenn lawyer beliefs:
1. client has diminished capacity
2. is at risk of substantial harm unless action is taken (Bsp. auch verliert Prozess)
3. lawyer cannot adequately act in the clients own interest

Rechtsfolge: reveal confidential information ausnahmsweise allowed (Bsp. mit Verwandten besprehcen)

Question 10

Safeguard property (auch Dinge!) in connection with representation of client (Achtung: deswegen nicht bei Sammeln für Weihnachtsgeschenk von mehreren Lawyern)

Answer 10

Pflicht 1: holding the property separate (auch Dinge)
Pflicht 2: keeping a complete accounting
Pflicht 3: promptly delivering to client or third party (!) when delivery is due (insb. bei third party undisputed claim, aber: Dritter hat kein Recht unmittelbar auf proceeds aus einem anderen Fall zuzugreifen ohne lien oder sonstiges legal right!)

Question 11

Prohibition on counseling crimes or fraud

Answer 11

Schritt 1: may discuss legal consequences
Schritt 2: must avoid assisting & withdraw if clients course of action has already begun & is continuing

Rechtsfolge 2: may notify third persons and disaffirm opinions, documents (= noisy withdrawal) even if withdrawal would inferentially reveal clients confidential information

Question 12

Lawyer muss Mandantendaten safekeepen

Answer 12

reasonable precautions to safeguard

Question 13

Unterschied confidentiality/privilege am Beispiel whereabouts vom client

Answer 13

a) wenn “nur” confidential: evtl. disclosure nötig to comply with court order

b) aber wenn mitgeteilt wurde und privilege gilt: keine disclosure (unless waived by client)

Question 14

Wann greift privilege?

Answer 14

1. communications mae for the purpose of obtaining or providing legal assistance for client and
2. inteded to be and kept confidential (Achtung: Grds. nicht wenn noch ein Dritter mithört, Ausn. reasonable belief dass der Dritte es nicht mitbekomt)

ACHTUNG: Reine Identität des clients nicht geschüzt von privilege!

Question 15

Gründe may disclose confidential information

Answer 15

1. Injury/death prevention
2. fraud/crime prevention durch client (that is reasonably certain to result in substantial injury of another)
3. conflict of interest screening
4. law or court order
5. authorized impliedly for representation
6. informed consent
7. mitigate financial injury rom crime
8. ethical advice (von Menotr)
9. defense on lawyers behalf (“self-defense”)

= IF CLAIMED

Question 16

Unlawfully altering, destroying, concealing material with potential evidentiary value

Answer 16

prohibited, lawyer also prohibited from counseling or assisting another person

Ausn. as part of a reasonable and evenly applied document-retention policy

Question 17

Conflicts between prospective clients

Answer 17

nach consultation mit einem prospective client lawyer is prohibited from representing another client with interests materially adverse to consulted client if

1. same or substantially related matter
2. lawyer received information from that could significantly harm the prospective (den ersten) client

Question 18

Lawyer darf normale Dinge safekeepen (Bsp. Sache, die bald verkauft werden soll),

Answer 18

aber kein kriminellen Dinge, can’t keep it, hide it, alter it
(has to give to police, doesn’t need to say where it comes from)

Question 19

Confidential disclosen innerhalb law firm?

Answer 19

erlaubt absent client instructions to the contrary!!

Question 20

Lawyers duty of care owed to nonclient

Answer 20

Grds. keine

Ausn.
1. Inviting reliance exception (nonclient vertraut auf lawyer)
(1). lawyer or client invites nonclients reliance on lawyers opinion/services
(2.) nonclient relies
(3.). nonclient not too remote to be entitled for protection

2. enforcing duty to client exception (client will nonclient helfen)
   (1.) lawyer knows that client intends lawyers service to benefit nonclient
   (2.) duty would not significantly impair lawyers duties to client
   (3.) absence of duty would impair enforcement of lawyers duties to client
3. fiduciary duty owed by client (client schuldet nonclient hilfe)
   (1.) lawyers client is nonclients fiduciary
   (2.) action necessary to prevent/rectify clients breach of fiduciary duty
   (3.) nonclient not reasonably able to protect own rights
   (4.) duty would not significantly impair lawyers duties to client

Question 21

Fälle an anderen Kollegen übertragen, weil man selbst krank ist?

Answer 21

Nein, unberechtigte disclosal of confidential information, wenn nicht vorher consent of clients (oder sonstiger AusnahmeTB)

Question 22

Wann darf lawyer withdraw

Answer 22

a) wenn keine negativen Folgen für client: for any reason
b) if materially and adversely affect clients interest. for good resaon

Bsp. auch bei unreasonable financial burden on lawyer

Question 23

Informationspflicht von settlement offers

Answer 23

Greift ausn. nicht, wenn client den lawyer vorher schon auf bestimmte Weise instruiert hat (“Lehn alles unter 1 Millionen ab”)

Question 24

Lawyer asks somebody to refrain from voluntarily giving relevant info to opposing counsel?

Answer 24

Grds. lawyer may not ask

Ausn.
1. nonclient is relativ, employee or other agent of client and
2. lawyer reasonably believes that withholding the information will not adverseley affect the nonclient

Question 25

Lawyer verschickt Dokumente an Gegenseite unautorisiert

Answer 25

implied authorization if harmless!

Question 26

Lawyer verzögert Kommunikation mit eigenem Mandanten

Answer 26

nur erlaubt, wenn client likely to react imprudently (total aufgebracht), nicht wenn delay only serves someone elses interested (Bsp. lawyers eigenes interest für die eigene convenience)

Question 27

Krimineller Mandant

Answer 27

1. Schritt: lawyer may discuss consequences in good faith
2. Schritt: lawyer must avoid assisting
3. Schritt lawyer mus withdraw if conduct continues (noisy withdrawal)

Question 28

Duty to decline ein Mandat

Answer 28

a) lawyers physical/mental/condition
b) representation would violate law

Question 29

Pflichten bei Termination

Answer 29

âuch noch nachvertragliche Pflichten
aber auf der anderen Seite zB noch ZBR für unbeahlte Fees

Question 30

Organisation violates law

Answer 30

1. Schritt: ask organisation to comply
2. Schritt: may rpeort to highest authority
3. Schritt: may report to outside organisation

Question 31

Client controls ends, lawyer means
P1: wer entscheidet über jury trial frage?
P2: wer entscheidet über testimony frage?

Answer 31

P1: in cirminal case client, in civil lawyer
P2: in cirminal case client, in civil lawyer

Question 32

Lawyer knows that client will do perjury

Answer 32

1. Schritt: good faith
2. Schritt: must withdraw
3. Schritt: disclose

Question 33

Geschenk client an lawyer

Answer 33

lawyer cannot solicit substantial gift (also danach fragen) Prohibited unless related (Bsp. Familienrecht, lawyer darf Testament von Verwandtem schreiben, das ihn selbst begünstigt)

Unsolicited substantial gift annehmen aber OK! as long as meets general standards of fairness (Bsp. ungefragtes Abschiedsgeschenk nach 30 Jahren Berufsbeziehung)

Question 34

Geschenk bzw. Geld lawyer an client

Answer 34

Grds. not!

Ausn.
1. Court costs
2. neu: indigent client on pro bono basis, modest gifts

Question 35

Business deals zwischen client/lawyer

Answer 35

nur wenn:
1. terms fair & reasonable
2. disclosed in writing in manner that client understands it
3. client advised to seek other lawyers advice
4. client consents in writing

Question 36

Can lawyer represent multiple clients?

Answer 36

Ja, wenn:
1. representation gleich effective
2. all clients consent

Question 37

Client mit diminished capacity

Answer 37

Ja, darf guardian suchen, aber muss vorher prüfen, ob die Person, die er anruft “act adversely to the clients interest”, insb. wenn sich später rausstellt, dass diminished person z.B. eine schlechte Beziehung zu ihrer Mutter nur ncoh hatte

Question 38

Lawyer enters contract with a third party (bsp. surveyor) on clients behalf as clients agent

Answer 38

1. client is solely liable under the contract (primarily!)
2. lawyer may also be liable:
   a) clients existence was not disclosed to third party
   b) third party is relying on lawyers crecdit

Question 39

Confidentiality, wenn lawyer Bsp. in law school calse die Umstände eines Falls nennt ohne die Identität des clients zu nennen?

Answer 39

Verletzung von confidentiality, wenn Beschreibung “reasonably lead to the discovery of protected info”