LAW456
Professionalism and Ethics
(Levine)
Prerequisite courses:
Prerequisite for:
Instructor(s): Sarah Levine
Course credits: 3
Method of presentation: Lecture
METHOD OF EVALUATION:
The primary method of evaluation will be a research paper worth 80% of your final grade. Students are encouraged to develop their own topic, though some topic suggestions will be provided.
The remaining 20% of your grade will be made up of class participation.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The main objectives of this course are to explore and discuss the practice of law in Canada, and the ethical obligations and responsibilities of lawyers both to the profession and to the public. Students will be expected to think critically about current and past ethical issues faced by members of the legal profession and will be expected to articulate their own ethical framework for making choices that respond to these ethical issues. In addition, students will be expected to identify and respond appropriately to conflicts of interest, understand the extent and limits of the confidentiality obligation and the duties owed by lawyers to other lawyers, clients and the public.
This course will cover various guidance and responses to ethical issues, as expressed by the courts, the profession (as reflected in the Alberta Code of Professional Conduct), the public, and legal commentators. This information will be delivered through lectures, discussions, guest visits (TBA) and course materials to provide a theoretical and practical foundation for you to think about what it means to practice law ethically, and to prompt reflection about what it means to be a lawyer.
SPECIAL COMMENTS:
Description updated 2022-23. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.
REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY):
1. Alberta Code of Professional Conduct, Law Society of Alberta; Legal Profession Act; and Rules of the Law Society of Alberta: online: https://www.lawsociety.ab.ca/regulation/act-code-and-rules/
2. Selected cases and readings