An Attorney Exercises This Type of Power When Giving Legal Advice
This code applies to U.S. District Judges, District Judges, Judges of the Court of International Trade, Judges of the Federal Claims Court, Bankruptcy Judges, and Judges. Certain provisions of this Code apply to masters and special commissioners, as indicated in the « Compliance » section. The Tax Court, the Veterans` Court of Appeal and the Court of Appeal for the Armed Forces have adopted this code. (6) A judge should take appropriate action as soon as he receives reliable information demonstrating that the conduct of a judge has violated this Code, that the conduct of a judicial employee has violated the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees or that a lawyer has violated the applicable rules of ethics. [14] The rules of ethics are rules of reason. They must be interpreted in the light of the objectives of the legal representation and the law itself. Some of the rules are imperatives set out in the words « should » or « shall not ». These define good behaviour for the purposes of professional discipline. Others that are generally included in the term « may » are permissive and define areas according to the rules in which the lawyer may exercise professional judgment in his or her sole discretion.
No disciplinary action should be taken if the lawyer decides not to act or to act within this discretion. Other rules define the nature of the relationship between the lawyer and others. The rules of procedure are therefore partly mandatory and disciplinary and partly constitutive and descriptive, since they define the professional role of a lawyer. Many of the comments use the word « should. » The comments do not add obligations to the rules, but provide guidelines for the exercise of the rules in accordance with the rules. Canon 3B(6). Public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary is fostered when judges take appropriate action based on reliable information about likely misconduct. Appropriate measures depend on the circumstances, but the overall objective of such a measure should be to prevent harm and recurrence of those affected by the misconduct. A judge may, in deciding what action is appropriate, consider any request for confidentiality made by a person who complains of or reports misconduct.
See Rules on Judicial Conduct and Judicial Procedure in the Event of Disability, Rule 4(a)(6) (which provides that « perceivable misconduct involves failure to alert the relevant Chief District Judge or Chief Circuit Judge of reliable information that reasonably constitutes misconduct or obstruction of justice. A judge who receives such reliable information will respect a request for confidentiality, but will disclose the information to the Chief District Judge or Chief District Judge, who will also keep the information confidential. Some reliable information may be protected from disclosure by law or rule. A judge`s guarantee of confidentiality must yield when there is reliable information about misconduct or obstruction that threatens a person`s safety or is serious or egregious, jeopardizing the integrity and proper functioning of the judiciary. A person who reports information about misconduct or disability must first be informed of a judge`s responsibility to disclose that information to the competent Chief District Judge or the Chief District Judge. Reliable information that is reasonably likely to constitute misconduct or obstruction of justice in connection with a Chief Circuit Judge should be brought to the attention of the next, more active county judge. This information about a Chief District Judge shall be brought to the attention of the Chief District Judge. »). (4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this canon, disqualification is not required if a judge were to be disqualified because of a financial interest in a party (other than an interest that could be significantly affected by the outcome) if the judge (or the judge`s spouse or minor child) sells the interest constituting the grounds for the disqualification. [9] However, in the nature of legal practice, conflicting responsibilities arise. Virtually all difficult ethical issues arise from the conflict between a lawyer`s responsibility to his or her clients, the legal system, and the lawyer`s interest in remaining an ethical person while earning a satisfying life. The rules of professional conduct often prescribe conditions for the resolution of such conflicts.
However, within the framework of these rules, many difficult questions of professional discretion may arise. These issues must be resolved through the exercise of sound professional and moral judgment guided by the basic principles underlying the rules. These principles include the lawyer`s obligation to protect and pursue a client`s legitimate interests within the framework of the law, while maintaining a professional, courteous and civil attitude towards all persons involved in the legal system. Canon 4A(4). This canon generally prohibits a judge from mediating a state court case, except in unusual circumstances (for example, when a judge arbitrates a federal case that cannot be effectively resolved without dealing with the related state court case). A health care power of attorney gives your agent the power to make medical decisions for you if you are unconscious, mentally incompetent, or otherwise unable to make decisions on your own.