LAW456
Professionalism and Ethics
(Acorn)
Prerequisite courses:
Prerequisite for:
Instructor(s): Professor Annalise Acorn
Course credit: 3
Method of presentation: Lecture
METHOD OF EVALUATION
The primary method of evaluation in this course is one 5,000 – 6,000 word paper on topics discussed in class worth 80%.
The remainder of the grade in this course will be made up of: 20% class participation
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines the rules relating to lawyers’ professional conduct. In it will also explore many of the ethical and moral dilemmas faced by lawyers in everyday practice. We begin with an overview of the regulatory structure of the profession and proceed to look at the 3-C’s of legal ethics: Civility, Confidentiality and Conflict of Interests. From there we proceed through the Law Society of Alberta Code of Conduct, touching on the lawyers right to withdraw from representation, rules regulating lawyer advertising and ethical practice in relation to trust conditions. Other topics to be discussed may include, procrastination and its relationship to professional misconduct, access to justice and the obligation to pro bono work, substance abuse and the stress epidemic in the practice of law, work-life balance, sexual relations with the client, ethical issues surrounding the self-represented litigant and developing competences representing indigenous clients. Throughout the course students will be asked to focus on how they would ideally like to develop their own voice as an advocate and become an autonomous professional.
SPECIAL COMMENTS
Description updated 2018-19. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.
REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY)
TBA