Legal Ethics Lab—Outside Legal Ethics Counsel

The Legal Ethics Lab is designed to offer solo and small law firm attorneys, ongoing and readily available ethics guidance at an affordable cost. Ethics guidance akin to the guidance provided by in-house ethics (general) counsels at large and medium firms. This gives smaller firms the same protection that’s given to large and medium law firms with these “gatekeepers” that protect those firms and their attorneys; thereby, minimizing the risk of grievance complaints and malpractice suits that ultimately can shatter their businesses. Solos and smalls firms who want to avail themselves of the same protections as larger firms now have an opportunity to do so.

Many solo and small firm practitioners simply cannot afford and often do not realize the invaluable benefits of an in-house ethics (general) counsel to handle day-to-day ethical issues; and to provide proactive advice about potential risk and liability. Benefits reinforced in Stock v. Schnader, Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, 142 AD3d 210 (1st Dept 2016), a legal malpractice action. There, the Court held that “attorneys who have sought the advice of their law firm’s in-house general counsel on their ethical obligations in representing a firm client may successfully invoke attorney-client privilege to resist the client’s demand for the disclosure of communications seeking or giving such advice.” Id. In so holding, the Court rejected the “fiduciary exception” and the “current client exception.”

Benefits Gold
(Solos)
Platinum
(Up to 3 Attorney Firms)
Diamond
(Up to 5 Attorney Firms)
Annual Ethics Audits Yes Yes Yes
Annual Escrow Audits (one account—6 months) Yes Yes Yes
Grievance Complaint Review Yes Yes Yes
Less than 15 minutes calls Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Annual Consultations (up to 1 hour each) 4* 8* 15*
Private CLE No No Yes
Subscription-based Outside Legal Ethics Counsel service. Become a member today.