Explore the duty of independent judgment, candid advice, and the broader considerations for legal advisors under Rule 2.1.
Is there a legal ethics rule that no lawyer ever has been sanctioned for having violated? The answer to that question is “no,” but, because ABA Model Rule 2.1 comes very close, it is routinely overlooked by state bar disciplinary authorities and practicing lawyers alike.
In the latest installment in this popular series, Zach McGee provides lawyers with practical guidance on how to fulfill their ethical obligations under ABA Model Rule 2.1 to exercise independent professional judgment and to render candid advice. ABA Model Rule 2.1 also permits lawyers to refer not only to law but to other considerations, such as moral, economic, social, and political factors in rendering their advice, which can be useful when a client’s desired course of action is not in his or her best interests. Rules covered include: ABA Model Rules 1.1, 1.2, 1.7, 1.8, 2.1 & 8.4.
Legal Technology & Education
New Media Legal Publishing, Inc. is a legal publishing company based in Los Angeles, California, that develops, produces, markets, and distributes innovative legal education content for law firms and companies. For more information about NMLP and its products, please visit http://www.newmedialegal.com .
Senior Vice President, Business Affairs, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Zach McGee is a Senior Vice President of Business Affairs for Sony Pictures Entertainment in Los Angeles, where he negotiates distribution deals for feature films and television series. Before joining Sony Pictures, Zach held senior legal positions in-house at NBCUniversal and Miramax. Zach began his career as a law clerk for the Honorable Michael B. Mukasey, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He also worked as an associate at Davis Polk in New York, New York, and Menlo Park, California. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and he earned his Master's in Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Zach is also a successful entrepreneur and the founder of educational content companies within the legal field.
