Lexington, KY, attorney Ben Cowgill launched his Legal Ethics Blog last week,
and I regret — as does he — that he dawdled. Ben correctly refers to the website
as both a weblog and a portal for legal ethics resources — there is much content
compiled from his legal career ,representing lawyers in disciplinary hearings and
otherwise focusing on the law of lawyering.
The weblog itself shows a love of writing and reflection, along with legal
ethics, that will bring me back frequently. For example, see his interview with Lincoln
and Brandeis for new attorneys, and his reminder why the Three Don’ts don’t say
I hope Ben won’t pull his punches on issues that relate to the rights
of clients (especially relating to fiduciary duties of lawyers to fully
inform clients of their options and to charge reasonable fees), due
to his role as defense counsel.
Welcome, Ben! I know your first entries won’t be your last words.
first butterfly–
without formal greeting
entering the alcove
spring at my gate–
the first New Year’s greeting
from sparrows
a full round
of New Year’s greetings
at the inn
ISSA, translated by David G. Lanoue
March 21, 2005
greetings to Ben Cowgill’s Legal Ethics Blog
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David: See what you started? It just took everyone a while to catch on. We’ve already posted a hello to Ben at our site.
Comment by John Steele — March 22, 2005 @ 12:57 am
David: See what you started? It just took everyone a while to catch on. We’ve already posted a hello to Ben at our site.
Comment by John Steele — March 22, 2005 @ 12:57 am
Thanks, David. As I have expressed in email to you, it is a pleasure to be joining you (and the brain trust over at the Legal Ethics Forum) here in the legal ethics dimension of the blogosphere. I encourage others to poke around in the “EthicalEsq Resources” section of your blog to see how much material you have generated and assembled over the past two years. By the way, isn’t it almost your blog’s two-year old birthday?
Comment by Ben Cowgill — March 22, 2005 @ 11:32 am
Thanks, David. As I have expressed in email to you, it is a pleasure to be joining you (and the brain trust over at the Legal Ethics Forum) here in the legal ethics dimension of the blogosphere. I encourage others to poke around in the “EthicalEsq Resources” section of your blog to see how much material you have generated and assembled over the past two years. By the way, isn’t it almost your blog’s two-year old birthday?
Comment by Ben Cowgill — March 22, 2005 @ 11:32 am
Regardless how today happened, the real problem is that Big Boss could even take the position in the first instance or craft a contract which aspired to such a result. The problem is using client money as leverage in negotiations. The real problem is attempting to leverage my firms cash flow to obtain unearned money. The real problem is failing to spend one second reviewing the ethics rules or thinking of the client’s interest during the entirety of the process. The problem is another partner telling one client she had no choice between counsel because the they signed a retainer contract with his firm. The problem is telling telling staff to stop working on cases during representation because Big Boss thinks the cases might be leaving with me or knows they are not leaving and does not want to risk any more hours or money on the case. The problem is telling attorneys and paralegals to start billing on hourly fee cases because they are about to settle. The problem is demanding huge trial retainers from clients one week before stepping into court for trial under threat of withdrawal. The problem is that these men who run our proefesion somehow have convinced themselves that they always deserve the windfall they claimed from others whose work made it possible. The problem is that they see clients, associates and partners only as money and profit. The problem is that their egos preclude them from ever seeing anything except their own interest…
The problem … will never be resolved if someone does not step up and do something to stop it.
Read more here and let me know what you think…
Comment by Greatest American Lawyer — March 24, 2005 @ 8:03 am
Regardless how today happened, the real problem is that Big Boss could even take the position in the first instance or craft a contract which aspired to such a result. The problem is using client money as leverage in negotiations. The real problem is attempting to leverage my firms cash flow to obtain unearned money. The real problem is failing to spend one second reviewing the ethics rules or thinking of the client’s interest during the entirety of the process. The problem is another partner telling one client she had no choice between counsel because the they signed a retainer contract with his firm. The problem is telling telling staff to stop working on cases during representation because Big Boss thinks the cases might be leaving with me or knows they are not leaving and does not want to risk any more hours or money on the case. The problem is telling attorneys and paralegals to start billing on hourly fee cases because they are about to settle. The problem is demanding huge trial retainers from clients one week before stepping into court for trial under threat of withdrawal. The problem is that these men who run our proefesion somehow have convinced themselves that they always deserve the windfall they claimed from others whose work made it possible. The problem is that they see clients, associates and partners only as money and profit. The problem is that their egos preclude them from ever seeing anything except their own interest…
The problem … will never be resolved if someone does not step up and do something to stop it.
Read more here and let me know what you think…
Comment by Greatest American Lawyer — March 24, 2005 @ 8:03 am