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Corporate discipline is something that every lawyer must adhere to. Every lawyer must take care of the dignity and prestige associated with the task of advocacy. Every attorney must adhere to the code of conduct for carrying out their legal activities efficiently. Lawyers’ ethics may sound amusing to many of us, but it must be borne in mind that all lawyers are not same says A. Harrison Barnes owner of Lawcrossing.com. The lawyers or attorneys, who are reputed and professional, adhere to the moral codes of conduct. The lawyer’s ethics provides them with a list of activity that they should undertake and the activities which they should abstain from. A. Harrison Barnes points out the benefits of following the legal and ethical code of conduct: • A lawyer adhering to the codes of conduct nurtures great respect for the legal profession. No such actions shall be undertaken, that violate the ethical code of conducts. • An honest lawyer always sees to it that he is not employing any illegal means or dishonest measures for undertaking legal activities. • The lawyer must stay away from deceitful activities like theft, burglary, illegal lifting or acceptance of bribes. • The attorney must see to it that he is striving towards fulfillment of the client’s interest. The attorney must see to it that he is not employing any unfair means for the aggrandizement of his own self interest. • He must constantly endeavor to develop his professional, interpersonal and communicative skills. • In order to encourage the clients to discuss their problems with the attorneys freely, the attorneys must make sure that they are able to develop a friendly working relation with their clients. It must be a relation of trust and confidence to nurture long term commitments says A. Harrison Barnes of lawcrossing.com. Professional independence is a must for attaining honesty and reliability. • At times when the professional ethics are not regulated by the courts of law, the legal professionals are required to observe the developed advocacy customs, morals, and traditions. These principles compliment the basic moral principles regulating society. • At times when an associate is unable to handle a complex situation, he can appeal to the Board of the respective attorney Chamber of the RF subject to seek clarification. An attorney is generally not denied when he asks for clarifications. A. Harrison Barnes points out that ethical practice in legal jobs must be adhered to, not only because the legal professionals are bound by the law of land, but also because every human being is expected to behave in a certain manner. While in legal profession, the lawyers must have value for their client’s money. They must assist their clients to make tentative legal decisions. Make sure that you are not making any false promise and provide quality services in time bound manner. Do not hesitate to ask for help if you feel that you will not be able to meet deadlines. Since “honesty is the best policy” the lawyer must be very open about the amount of load he can shoulder at a given point of time. Do not over load yourself by taking future assignments, if you are incapable of handling your present assignments. In this age of information and technology, make use of the directories or websites to advertise your law firms. This is one of the most efficient methods for promoting your profession. The attorney must make sure that his suggestions and decisions are accepted by his clients. By no means can the attorney thrust upon his decision on the clients. A. Harrison Barnes suggests that the lawyers must seek suggestions and opinions from their clients before arriving at any tentative decisions. The lawyers engaged in legal jobs, may also carry out additional responsibilities for the civilians. The lawyers, says A. Harrison Barnes, possess certain rights which are not possessed by the common man. At no point of time, should the lawyers take recourse to unfair practices by virtue of the rights they possess. These legal rights enable the attorneys to undertake decisions during the times of emergencies. The additional authority and responsibility possessed by the lawyers differentiates them from the common man. The lawyers must utilize his power and authority to further the causes of the common man, rather than aggrandize their own self interest. Obviously, with great power comes great responsibility. The attorneys, in order to maintain integrity of their profession, must adhere to the code of ethics. Since ethics are not limited to our personal lives alone, it must be carried over to the professional life as well.
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