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Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Lawyers

Statutes

laws governing attorneys may be in state statutes - such as for attorney misconduct in NY Jud Law sec. 487

use Index, each state will be different and use different terminology

Annotated code- use Cross references, regulations and key number references, Notes of Decision for references to cases interpreting your section

50 state surveys - for list of states with statutes on a particular topic - great, if cover your topic, but don’t count on it
- HeinOnline - (Subject Compilations of State Laws) - browse and search subjects - attorneys in Subj ; malpractice in Title (not Journal Title)
- Lexis.com - 50 State Multi-Jurisdictional Surveys - Browse TOC
- Westlaw - type in 50 state surveys in search box

Cases

References from Secondary Sources and annotated code - look in State annotated code for cases decided re: Rules of Prof. Conduct

KeyCite / Shepardize a known case

Using digest on Westlaw
- get topic and key number from known case - or try a keyword search to find a relevant case
- get Topic number - and Key Number in headnotes on Westlaw
- Use Table of Contents of Key Numbers (West Key Number System link under Tools menu on Westlaw)
- Recommended Topic - Attorneys and Legal Services - Topic number 46H ; recommended key numbers within Topic 46H - XI. DUTIES AND LIABILITIES TO NON-CLIENTS, k621-k650

Administrative Materials / Court Rules

Regulations - authority delegated by legislature to executive agencies, may include Court rules (such as requirement of a letter of engagement-22 NYCRR 1215.1) - in Administrative Codes online - e.g. Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law

administrative decisions - ethics opinions

State Rules of Professional Conduct may be in statutes, regulations or Court Rules (sometimes found in administrative codes (see Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Lawyers - see NY and State Professional Responsibility Standards tabs)