Civility in Lawyering: Don’t Follow a Poor Example

Civility is nothing new to us. We’ve posted about civility in brief writing and about the golden rule in the practice of law. A recent article in the ABA’s The Young Lawyer brings up the topic again. Here they point out that young lawyers sometimes fall into the trap of emulating more experienced lawyers – even when their senior colleagues act unprofessionally.

Rookie and veteran lawyers might think that aggressive or uncivil conduct falls in the line with being a “zealous advocate,” based on Canon 7 of the Model Code of Professional Responsibility. What many might not realize is that Canon 7 has been replaced by ABA Model Rule 1.3, which requires lawyers to represent their clients with “reasonable diligence and promptness.” The change was specifically implemented to dispel the notion that zealous advocacy includes uncivil behavior.

See Be Civil and Courteous to Other Lawyers 18 The Young Lawyer 17 (Spring 2014).