Model Rules of Professional Conduct

For more than one hundred years, the American Bar Association has provided leadership in legal ethics and professional responsibility through the adoption of professional standards that serve as models of the regulatory law governing the legal profession. The 2021 Edition of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on lawyer ethics. The Rules, with some variations, have been adopted in 50 jurisdictions. Federal, state, and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in resolving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions, and more. This 2021 Edition of the Model Rules includes the amendments to Model Rule 1.8(e) that American Bar Association adopted on August 12, 2020. This amendment allows lawyers, representing someone on a pro bono basis, to provide limited financial assistance to that client.