The ethics opinions of the committee are advisory only and are not binding on the disciplinary committee of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania or any other court. An ethical opinion has only the weight that an appropriate evaluator can give it. Many “formal” statements (written by the entire Global Ethics Committee) are publicly available. Hundreds of other “informal” statements (written by a committee member on specific ethical issues) are also available to PBA members. After registering, use the link at the top of the page to access all ethical opinions (formal and informal). Sometimes the bureaucracy doesn`t want to listen, especially when it makes a mistake. A grandmother with limited income was informed that she had received an overpayment of $1,100 in her Social Security benefits and was ordered to pay it back. At that time, the woman was struggling to pay for a new roof and stove for the old house where she cared for her granddaughter. One of our legal aid membership programs, North Penn Legal Services, has appealed on his behalf. In the end, it was decided that the overpayment was Social Security`s fault, and the claim for reimbursement was withdrawn.
Without legal assistance, the woman would have been unjustly punished. Many “formal” statements (written by the entire Global Ethics Committee) are publicly available. These opinions can be found via the search box above. Ethical opinions are issued by the PBA`s Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. The Ethics Hotline does not answer questions from the public, including questions about private legal matters or questions about attorney conduct in Pennsylvania. If you want to find a lawyer to discuss a private legal matter, consult the Attorney Placement Service. If you wish to file a complaint against a Pennsylvania attorney, contact the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. To request expert advice, your request must be submitted in writing. This can be done in an email to openrecords@pa.gov or in a letter to: F2020-100 – Official Statement F2020-100: Ethical Considerations for Email Communication with Opposing Party Counsel and Clients F2020-400 – Official Statement 2020-400 (13. April 2020): APPROVAL OF THE BAR ETHICS REPORT FOR DC 377: OBLIGATIONS IN CASES OF IMPAIRMENT BY A LAWYER F2022-100 – Formal Notice 2022-100 (June 9, 2022) LAWYER`S OBLIGATIONS TO CLAIM ATTORNEYS` FEES UNDER SECTION 440 OF THE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION ACT The Committee responds to requests from PBA members regarding the impact of the provisions of the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct on the future conduct of the member. The Committee does not deal with matters relating to past conduct of a lawyer, disciplinary matters, litigation or legal matters.
E2022-500 – Formal Notice 2022-500: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LAWYERS WHO STORE INFORMATION ABOUT A CLIENT`S REPRESENTATION ON A SMARTPHONE Joint Formal Notice 2021-100 – JOINT FORMAL NOTICE 2021-100: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LAWYERS PRACTISING FROM PHYSICAL LOCATIONS WHERE THEY ARE NOT LICENSED To reach the Ethics Helpline, Call 800-932-0311 or 717-238-6715. The Ethics Hotline is a service reserved for members of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. We invite non-Pennsylvania lawyers to join the PBA to use this service. F2021-300 – Formal Notice 2021-300 (March 25, 2021): ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LAWYERS WHO KEEP ORIGINAL WILLS The law does not set a deadline for the preparation of expert opinions. The Office of Common Affairs will work diligently to provide the opinion prior to the estimated date of the question included in the response; Please note, however, that it may take up to ninety (90) days for notice to be issued from the date the ROA grants a request. In some cases, it may take longer. If a request for an opinion is urgent, please indicate why you consider it urgent and when the notice should be issued. Purchase the Pennsylvania Ethics Handbook from the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.
F2022-400 – Formal Notice 2022-400: ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF LAWYERS WHO USE EMAILS AND TRANSMIT CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION F2020-200 – Formal Notice F2020-200: OBLIGATIONS OF THE SUCCESSOR WITH RESPECT TO CONTINGENCY FEES TO ADVISE THE CLIENT ON POSSIBLE OBLIGATIONS TO A PRIOR LAWYER Joint Formal Notice 2022-300 – Joint Formal Notice 2022-300: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR HOUSING EARNED ON RECEIPT AND NON-REFUNDABLE FEES Read Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct. F2022-200 – Formal Notice 2022-200 (June 22, 2022): USE OF IOLTA ATTORNEY ACCOUNTS FOR REAL ESTATE SETTLEMENT TRANSACTIONS. F2020-500 – Formal Notice 2020-500 (September 23, 2020): SUCCESSOR`S OBLIGATIONS UNDER PREDECESSOR`S TAX LAW F2020-600 – Formal Notice 2020-600 (22. December 2020): ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO COVID WAIVERS The Right to Know Act (“RTKL”) requires the Office of Open Records (“OOR”) to provide notices to agencies and applicants pursuant to Section 1310(a)(2) of the RTKL.
