Learn More About Rule 21 button" width="" />While we all face uncertainty dealing with COVID-19, the SBM’s Ethics department has published a guideline of Ethics During the COVID-19 Pandemic to help during this trying time.
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Ethics Seminar
Lawyer Trust Accounts Seminar: Management Principles & Recordkeeping Resources
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
This half-day webinar features presentations on the ethical management of lawyer trust accounts and the effective use of forms, checklists, and other recordkeeping resources.
For more information and to register, click here.
Tips and Tools for a Successful Practice
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
This full-day webinar is an excellent opportunity for solo practitioners and new lawyers to obtain ethical guidance and practical information regarding client relationships, conflicts of interest, fee agreements, avoiding discipline, and technology.
For more information and to register, click here.
| Month/Year | Author and Title (Note: all columns dated October 2021 and before are PDFs.) |
| July/Aug '24 | Austin Blessing-Nelson—Reviewing the obligation to report potential misconduct |
| May '24 | Nicholas M. Ohanesian & Robinjit K. Eagleson—The Brady conflict? |
| April '24 | Robinjit Eagleson—The ethics of appointing from the bench |
| March '24 | Robinjit Eagleson—Ethics news: Looking back at the 2022-2023 Bar year |
| November '23 | Alecia Chandler—IOLTA vs non-IOLTA: Where to hold client funds |
| October '23 | Robinjit K. Eagleson—Scam alert: What to do |
| September '23 | Katherine S. Gardner—Addressing the unauthorized practice of law in the courtroom |
| May '23 | Robinjit K. Eagleson—The banking crisis and lawyer trust accounts |
| March '23 | Joe Rivet and Alecia M. Chandler—The reality of fraud |
| February '23 | Robinjit K. Eagleson—Looking back at 2022: Ethics news |
| December '22 | Robinjit K. Eagleson—The ethics in publicity |
| November '22 | Alecia M. Chandler—Embrace the right to a second opinion |
| October '22 | Michael S. Leib and Kenneth M. Mogill—The new MRPC 1.19 |
| September '22 | Hon. Christopher S. Ninomiya—Pernicious politics: It's time to bench Partisan politics from the bench |
| July/August '22 | Alecia M. Chandler—The ins and outs of the lawyer trust account |
| June '22 | Alecia M. Chandler—Stop sending subpoenas to attorneys for protected information |
| May '22 | Robinjit K. Eagleson—Duty to court vs. duty to client: Balancing MRPC 1.6 and 3.3 |
| April '22 | Robinjit K. Eagleson—Media ethics: Think before you post: The line between accuracy and sensationalism |
| March '22 | Robinjit K. Eagleson—The helpline helps |
| February '22 | Robinjit K. Eagleson—Addressing the gray areas |
| December '21 | Alecia M. Chandler & Robinjit K. Eagleson—A guide to locating ethics resources |
| October '21 | Edward J. Hood—Welcome Guidance on a Lawyer’s Duties to Prospective Clients |
Issued in 2024
JI-157 Judicial Security and Disqualification Analysis.
JI-156 Ethical considerations for judicial officers to attend law firm events.
RI-390 Ethical Responsibilities when Safekeeping Legal and Illegal Property from Clients.
JI-156 Ethical considerations for judicial officers to attend law firm events.
Issued in 2023
RI-389 Ethical Guidance for Prosecutors when Charging within their Office.
JI-155 Ethical Duty to Maintain Technological Competence Including Artificial Intelligence.
RI-388 Ethical Duties to Safeguard Digital Property.
RI-387 Adhering to Ethical Rules for Motions to Withdraw.
RI-386 Ethical Representation of a Client Under a Disability.
JI-154 Eliciting of Information from Counsel to Adjudicate a Motion to Withdraw.
Issued in 2022
RI-385 An attorney may not utilize a keyword advertising campaign that involves using the name of another attorney, law firm or attorney’s or law firm’s tradenames without the express consent of the other attorney or law firm.
RI-384 Lawyers and law firms must ensure that all funds maintained within an IOLTA are accounted for.
JI-153 Disclosure to All Parties of Prior Relationship and Child in Common.
JI-152 Judge Participating on Election Planning Committee.
RI-383 Supervision of Lawyers in Legal Services Programs by Lawyer or Non-Lawyer Supervisors.
JI-151 Simultaneous Employment as Quasi Judicial Officer and Law Clerk.
R-26 Responding to Negative Online Reviews.
Issued in 2021
RI-382 Ethical Implications for Michigan Attorneys Interacting with Out-of-State Counsel
JI-150 Referral Fees Earned Prior to Assuming the Bench
Issued in 2020
JI-149 A judge consulting with another judge to seek guidance in carrying out the judge’s adjudicative responsibilities.
JI-146 A judge, judge’s family member, or staff member may accept gifts that are considered “ordinary social hospitality” but should not accept any other gifts from persons who may appear before the judge.
RI-381 Lawyers have ethical obligations to understand technology, including cybersecurity.
The State Bar of Michigan is pleased to provide this service to our membership to assist Michigan lawyers in researching ethics inquiries free of charge. This service provides the full index to Michigan ethics opinions, both professional and judicial, with links to all ethics opinions released since October 1988 using the citation abbreviations at common citations.
There are four ways to search for Michigan ethics opinions using our online service. If you know the opinion number, click on Quick Find by opinion number and enter it in the "get opinion" box. If you would like to search the text of the ethics opinions, click on Search full text of ethics opinion collection and insert key word text in the search criteria box. If you would like to search for ethics opinions by subject matter click on online index to review the topic index and tables of opinions. If you would like to search for ethics opinions interpreting specific rules of the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC) or specific canons of the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct, click on Opinions interpreting MRPC or Opinions interpreting MCJC to review the tables of opinions.
If you would like to request a written ethics opinion regarding a particular issue, click on written Ethics Opinion to obtain instructions for submitting your written request.
Notice to Lawyers
State Bar of Michigan ethics opinions are advisory and non-binding in nature. This index is a complete historical catalog. Some of the listed ethics opinions, though not expressly superseded in subsequent ethics opinions, may be nonetheless outmoded or no longer sound due to subsequent changes in case law, statutes, or court rules. Practitioners are urged to thoroughly research all sources to determine the current validity of any given ethics opinion.
The State Bar of Michigan’s Ethics Helpline is reserved for attorneys and judges to discuss ethical issues.
Members may contact the SBM Ethics Helpline at (877) 558-4760 to receive verbal, non-binding ethics advice from a staff attorney regarding their own prospective conduct. All calls and e-mails to the Ethics Helpline are confidential and must not be recorded as records and information of the Ethics Program of the State Bar are confidential pursuant to State Bar Rule 19.
Members may also email ethics@michbar.org. A staff attorney will respond via email or telephone and provide ethics resources but will not provide an opinion in writing. To obtain an opinion in writing, see How to Request an Ethics Opinion.
