Having\na system for screening new matters for potential conflicts of interest might\nnot be the most exciting part of practicing law, but it is essential if you want\nto avoid trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not\nonly that, it\u2019s ethically required by the Rules of Professional Conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malpractice claims\nalleging a conflict of interest are on the rise, especially in real estate, contracts,\nbusiness law and other practice areas that can involve multiple parties and\ncompeting interests. Some of these cases are resulting in big verdicts, which\nsometimes include\npunitive damages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And\nthe larger the firm and the greater the number of clients, the more complicated\nthe job of checking for conflicts becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Practice resources are at your fingertips when you’re a member of Alta Pro Lawyers RPG. You get access to the Pro Practice Playbook, Reminger ProLink, Ask the Risk Pro, free CLE webinars and more. Here\u2019s how to join<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A Good Starting Point: The Pro Practice Playbook<\/strong> Another smart move is to review Rule 1.7 of your state\u2019s Rules of Professional Conduct. Under ABA Model Rule 1.7<\/a> (which is mirrored in most states) a conflict exists when (1) the representation of a client is directly adverse to another current client, and (2) when there is a substantial risk that the lawyer\u2019s loyalty will be materially limited by responsibilities to another client, a former client, a third person, or the lawyer\u2019s own personal interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Practice Tip #1:<\/strong> At your next staff meeting, discuss\nRule 1.7. Review your conflict check system. Is it sufficient to comply with\nthe Rule? Do changes need to be made?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some Additional Pointers<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Practice Tip #2<\/strong>: If you\u2019re interested in conflicts checking software, Clio offers top-grade practice management systems. Alta Pro Lawyers RPG members are eligible for an exclusive Clio discount. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re an Alta Pro insured and have a question about a conflict with a specific client \u2013 or about a potential or actual problem in a case \u2013 you can get loss prevention\/claim avoidance advice from the Reminger law firm<\/a>. Reminger Pro Link is another benefit of membership in Alta Pro Lawyers RPG. <\/em><\/strong>Here\u2019s how to join<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Interested in conflicts screening solutions? Read this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[244,245],"tags":[318,272,289,263,283],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15069"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15069\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
If you\u2019re looking to improve your conflicts checking system, visit the Pro Practice Playbook portion of the Alta Pro website. Section 4.4 is on Avoiding Conflicts of Interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n