From the Editor: Avoid Pitfalls in Professional Conduct – Review Proposed Amendments

by Jody L. Peskin

In the last few weeks I’ve noticed that the Fulton County Daily Report seems to have been replete with notices of attorneys that have either been disbarred or suspended from the practice of law, and even notices of those who have offered to voluntarily be suspended from the practice for various issues that have occurred in their practices.
 
For me each notice is a tale of woe that is devastatingly sad. None of us undergoes the trials of law school, and the intensity of the bar exam, the efforts of building a practice or finding a position with a firm in an area of law that we want to work in, so that we may lose all rights to continue practicing in our chosen profession. Whether the infractions that result in a loss of license are caused by criminal actions, neglect in providing promised legal services, or various life crises that interfere with one’s ability to practice, it is a sad event that reflects negatively not only on that individual, but on the profession, and each of us as well.
 
Recently, an e-notice was sent out by the State Bar of Georgia regarding a proposal to amend the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. This matter will more than likely be addressed at the upcoming State Bar Meeting in June. I would suggest that each one of us become familiar with the proposed changes so that none of us ever finds himself or herself in the untenable position of unknowingly violating one of the tenets of our profession and finding ourselves unable to practice in our chosen field.
 
Please go to the home page of the State Bar at www.gabar.org and look under “Bar News and Events” in the center of the home page, scroll down and click on “Proposed Amendments to the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.” You will be able to review the suggestions and compare them to what presently exists. If you do not have time for a line-by-line review, click on the “Executive Summary of Potential Changes” to understand what changes are being proposed. We should all be more aware of what is and is not acceptable professional conduct to avoid the pitfalls that could take away our ability to continue in this venerable profession.