Course Agenda

PART I. - "Legal Ethics"

1. What Are "Legal Ethics"? 
   1. The Subject of "Legal Ethics"
   2. Law School Education in Legal Ethics
      1. The Current ABA Criteria
      2. The Bar Exam 
      3. Legal Ethics in the Good Ole Days 
   3. Ethics Continuing Legal Education 
      1. 1. A Mix 
         2. New Topics
         3. CLE Teaching Methods 
         4. Our CLE Instruction 
   4. "Ethics," "Legal Ethics," and "Professional Responsibility" 
      1. The "Right Thing" 
      2. "Be Nice" Ethics 
      3. "Legal Ethics."
      4. "Professional Responsibility"
          
2. The Background of Modern Codal Professional Responsibility
   1. Introduction
   2. The ABA Canons of Professional Ethics (1908) 
      1. Exhortations 
      2. The Canons' Status Evolves to Binding Rules
   3. The Code of Professional Courtesy
   4. The ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility (1969)
   5. The ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (1983)
   6. The ABA "Ethics 2000" Initiative (2002). 
   7. The ABA Enron Amendments (2003)
   8. The ABA Model Rules - In Perspective 
   9. The Restatement (Third) of the Law Governing Lawyers
   10. The Role of the States
       1. State Authority Prevails 
       2. Most State Rules Reflect the ABA Rules 
       3. Status Check for Your State 
   11. The Pace of Life and Legal Ethics 
   12. Perennial Questions 
   13. A Note for Corporate Counsel
       1. Reporting Up and Out. 
       2. Sarbanes-Oxley.
       3. Federal Government Contracting

PART II - Confidentiality, The Attorney-Client Privilege, and The Work Product Doctrine

1. The Confluence of Three Topics  
   1. Introduction
   2. Our Approach
       
2. The Duty (and Professional Duty) of Confidentiality
   1. Introduction 
   2. The Debate Over the Legal Profession's Professional Duty of Confidentiality 
   3. The ABA Model Rules on Confidentiality - A Summary. 
      1. A Summary of ABA Model Rule 1.6
      2. Discussion
         1. The Basic Rule of Confidentiality. 
         2. The Background of the Current ABA Model Rule 1.6. 
         3. "Secrets" and "Confidences." 
         4. Using (vice Disclosing) Confidential Information. 
         5. Prospective Clients
         6. The Continuation of the Duty After the Attorney-Client Relationship. 
         7. The Duty to Protect Confidential Information.
         8. Generally Known Information. 
         9. An Introductory Comparison of the Duty to the Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine. 
   4. The ABA Model Rule 1.6 (2009 edition - the E2K/Enron Version)
       
3. Comparison of the Current ABA Model Rule and to the States
   1. Introduction: They aren't called "model" rules for nothing
   2. The Commonwealth of Kentucky
   3. The State of South Carolina
       
4. The Attorney Client Privilege
   1. Introduction to the Attorney-Client Privilege
   2. The Wigmore Elements of the Attorney-Client Privilege
   3. The Wikapedia Elements of the Attorney-Client Privilege
   4. The Restatement Elements of the Attorney-Client Privilege
   5. The Purpose of the Attorney-Client Privilege
   6. Discussion of the Attorney-Client Privilege
      1. A "Communication" from a Client/Potential Client
      2. Two-Way Communication?
      3. Information From Non-Clients
      4. "Privileged Persons"
      5. In Confidence
      6. Purpose: Legal Advice 
      7. An Organization as the Client
      8. Duration of the Attorney-Client Privilege
   7. Exceptions to, and the Waiver of, the Attorney-Client Privilege
      1. Exception and Waiver 
      2. The Crime/Fraud Exception
      3. Intentional Revelation/Waiver
      4. Selective Waiver 
      5. Inadvertent Disclosure
      6. A Failure to Object 
      7. Mistaken Release
      8. Underlying Information
      9. The Attorney-Client Privelge in Federal Litigation
   8. "New Federal Rule of Evidence 502
      1. Change to FRE 502
      2. Inadvertent Disclosure
      3. Subject Matter Waiver
      4. Applicability of Federal Court Orders
      5. Confidentiality
      6. Affect on Electronic Discovery
      7. The New FRE 502
          
5. The Work Product Doctrine 
   1. Introduction
   2. Terminology
   3. Legal Status of the Work Product Doctrine
   4. Background of the Work Product Doctrine
   5. "Opinion" and "Ordinary" Work Products
      1. Key Distinction
      2. Obtaining an Ordinary Work Product
      3. Obtaining an Opinion Work Product 
   6. "Prepared in Anticipation of Litigation
   7. The Work Product Doctrine in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
   8. Comparison of the Work Product Doctrine with the Attorney-Client Privilege.
       
6. Comparisons of the Duty of Confidentiality, Attorney-Client Privilege, and the Work Product Doctrine 
   1. Source of Authority
   2. Coverage or Scope
   3. Operation
   4. Responsibility
   5. Duration
   6. Effect of Improper Release/Breach