TFP BLOG: November 2009

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Recession still Looms for Lawyers

According to the majority of poll takers in our latest poll, the recession is not over--fifty percent of respondents have lost their job and remain unemployed. An additional 33% of respondents have somewhat recovered: they have found employment, but their new job is not as good as their last job.

Unfortunately, the poll demonstrates, to a certain extent (at least in the NY legal market), many people have not recovered from the recession. The Am Law Daily confirms that the law profession continues to be financially rattled in a recent article entitled "Legal Sector Loses 5,800 Jobs in October" see the link below for the entire article.

http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2009/11/legal-sector-loses-5800-jobs-in-october.html

Friday, November 6, 2009

No Red Flags Rule for Lawyers

On October 29, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the FTC's Red Flags Rules cannot be enforced against lawyers, saying that the FTC's interpretation of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act overreaches and its application to lawyers is unreasonable.

NYCLA organized a CLE Program on November 5 which discussed the decision and its significance for the independance of the legal profession.

NYCLA DRAFT DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONALISM

By professionalism we mean a group pursuing a learned art as a higher calling in a spirit that it is performing a public service, a service that is indispensible in a democratic nation founded on the rule of law. This calling is no less a public service because it may also be a means of livelihood. Pursuit of a learned art in the spirit of a public service is the essence of being a lawyer. It implies obligations of dignity, integrity, self-respect and respect for others.

The essence of professionalism is a commitment to develop one's skills to the fullest and to apply them responsibly and with the utmost diligence to the problem at hand. Professionalism requires adherence to the highest standards of integrity and a willingness to subordinate narrow self-interest in pursuit of the more fundamental goal of client service. Because of the tremendous power they wield in our system, lawyers must never forget that their duty to serve their clients fairly and skillfully takes priority over the personal accumulation of wealth. Lawyers must be willing and prepared to undertake zealous advocacy on behalf of their clients while retaining enough perspective to provide those clients with considered, well-informed and objective advice.

Although duties to their clients in particular matters are paramount, lawyers must throughout their careers remain conscious of and committed to the goal of improving the profession and the system of justice. This commitment includes taking personal and professional measures to increase the availability of legal services and abet even-handed and efficient application and administration of the legal system for all segments of society.