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Law Research Bookmarks

Freely available web sites for legal research compiled by the librarians at the UMKC Law Library

Professional Responsibility

American Bar Association

American Bar Association: Center for Professional Responsibilty :  The Center provides national leadership in developing and interpreting standards and scholarly resources in legal and judicial ethics, professional regulation, professionalism and client protection.

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct :  The ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct  were adopted by the ABA House of Delegates in 1983. They serve as models for the ethics rules of most states. Before the adoption of the Model Rules, the ABA model was the 1969 Model Code of Professional Responsibility . Preceding the Model Code were the 1908 Canons of Professional Ethics (last amended in 1963).

ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Repsonsiblity : Since 1908 the Association's Ethics Committee has focused its efforts on the development of model national ethics standards for lawyers and the judiciary and the drafting of ABA Formal Ethics Opinions interpreting and applying those standards.

ABA/BNA Lawyers' Manual on Professional Conduct :  The most authoritative source for news and guidance on virtually every aspect of attorney conduct and legal ethics.  The Manual is organized into four main sections: the Practice Guides, Ethics Rules, Current Reports, and Ethics Opinions.  UMKC sso log-in or BloombergBNA password required.

Missouri

Attorney Disciplinary Information :  Missouri Supreme Court Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel.

Missouri Supreme Court Rules Governing the Bar and Judiciary :  These are the collective rules of the Missouri Supreme Court regulating the Bar and the Judiciary.  Individual rules are cited as "Rule ___"; for instance the Rules of Professional Conduct are cited as Rule 4- #. #.

Missouri Supreme Court Orders :  

Missouri Informal Advisory Opinions :  Informal advisory opinions are issued by the Legal Ethics Counsel under Rule 5.30. The Legal Ethics Counsel only issues opinions to attorneys for their own guidance involving an existing set of facts. Informal advisory opinions cannot be issued on hypotheticals or regarding the conduct of an attorney other than the one asking for the opinion.

Formal Opinions of the Missouri Supreme Court Advisory Committee :  The formal opinions and informal advisory opinions through June 30, 1994 are included in a deskbook entitled Missouri Advisory Opinions published by The Missouri Bar in 1995. A supplement to the deskbook was published in 1996. Opinions included in the deskbook and supplement are indexed by topic and include an annotation to the particular rule(s) involved. The book is no longer being published; however, you may search an electronic version of the deskbook and supplement and formal opinions published since 1996 by clicking here.

The Missouri Bar : 

 

Kansas

Kansas Supreme Court Rules : 

Kansas Supreme Court Orders

Kansas Office of the Disciplinary Administrator :  The Kansas Disciplinary Administrator's Office is a state agency in the judicial branch working under the direction of the Kansas Supreme Court. The Disciplinary Administrator reviews complaints of misconduct against lawyers, conducts investigations, holds public hearings when appropriate, and recommends discipline to the Supreme Court in serious matters.

 

Journals : See Westlaw, Lexis, BloombergBNA or HeinOnline.  Password or UMKC sso signon required.

Cardozo Public Law, Policy and Ethics Journal :  A multidisciplinary publication dedicated to discussing and analyzing the policy implications of governmental actions, how lawyers advocate in the public interest, and how the ethical choices of legal workers affect the law and the public at large.

Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics :  The Journal, through its four annual issues and featured symposia, aspires to serve as the main forum for the discussion and development of the most compelling and pertinent issues currently affecting both the Bench and the Bar.

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy : The Journal explores the legal, ethical and policy considerations of each topic within the framework of the Judeo-Christian intellectual and moral tradition. It has a national audience of people actively involved in the formulation of public policy, and regularly includes timely pieces from a broad spectrum of prominent scholars and officials.

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics :  Malpractice claims are on the rise, novel ethical issues are created with new technology, and the public continues to question the integrity of the legal community. Now, more than ever, the fields of legal malpractice and professional responsibility deserve a scholastic niche set aside solely for the purpose of legal analysis and comment on these topics.

 

Blogs:

Legal Profession Blog :

Professional Responsibility Blog :

The Ethics Guru : Legal Ethics Blawg ;

Treatises:

Restatement of the Law Governing Lawyers :  Westlaw password required. Secondary Sources > Restatements & Principles of the Law

Legal Ethics ina nutshell, Ronald D. Rotunda & Michael I. Krauss. St. Paul, MN :Thomson/West, 2006  UMKC Law Library KF309. Z9 R668 2006

Legal Ethics : A Legal Resource Guide, Lee F. Peoples, Buffalo, NY : W.S. Hein, 2006 UMKC Law Library KF306 .P46 2006

Legal Ethics : A Comparative Study, Geoffrey C. Hazard & Angelo Dondi, Stanford Cal., Standord Univ. Press, 2004 K123 .H39 2004