Virginia’s law on ethical walls
Virginia’s law on ethical walls
Answer the following prompt using complete sentences, good grammar, spelling, and punctuation, utilize a word processing program, and proofread your work before submitting.
Be sure to explain your answers and back yourself up with either references to the textbook reading or outside sources, preferably primary sources of law, such as the Virginia State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct or the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, or other source AS APPROPRIATE (properly cited, of course). Mention rules of law upon which you are relying within the body of your answers, and also include a complete citation to all of your sources in a references section at the bottom of your assignment.
- Research Virginia’s law on ethical walls (formerly called “Chinese walls” if that helps inform your research). Perhaps start with rule 1.10 on imputing conflicts to other people in a firm and/or 1.11 for those with a government agency. Check for state bar opinions, as well as case law on this issue. You can use the internet or an electronic legal research database such as WestlawNext or LexisNexis, etc. The Virginia State Bar website has plenty of information as well, and your textbook has search engine suggestions on page 124. Report on what you find, what you think about such, and provide citations.
- Locate Virginia’s Rules of Professional Conduct related to lawyer advertising. Would it violate these rules if your law firm adopted a vanity phone number such as 1-800-GR8-LWYR? Can your law firm create a website address like: www.greatlawyer.com?
- Does Virginia prohibit the use of actors portraying lawyers in television advertising? What do you personally think about this? Is the public confused or fooled by this practice? Do Virginia’s rules prohibit your law firm from using a clever jingle in a radio or television ad?
