Law Schedule of Classes

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210.1S sec. 001 - Legal Ethics in the Practice of Law (Summer 2023)

Instructor: Lois W Schwartz  (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only)
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Units: 3
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person

Meeting:

MTuWThF 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Law 132
From June 27, 2023
To July 14, 2023

Summer Quarter: 3
Class Number: Click to show Class Number

Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 27
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 35
As of: 08/24 11:52 PM


The course is intended to familiarize students with the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which are tested on the MPRE exam and the California Bar Exam, and the California Rules of Professional Conduct, which are tested on the California Bar Exam. We begin with an explanation of the rules that most frequently affect practicing attorneys. Then we either complete reinforcement exercises that apply the rules to different fact scenarios or we break into groups to discuss more detailed ethical problems from the Lerman and Schrag casebook that require a working knowledge of the rules combined with critical judgment. Some of the group exercises are based on actual scenarios; some are fictional; all provoke strong opinions. On days when we break into groups, we will all debrief together at the end of class.

Professor Lois Schwartz has been teaching law students for over 25 years. She graduated from Berkeley Law in 1989. She is a member of the full-time faculty at UC Hastings and has taught a popular Legal Ethics course there for many years. She has participated in groups encouraging the reform of California Rules of Ethics and makes a particular point of incorporating relevant ethical issues into the other doctrinal courses she teaches.

Texts for Legal Ethics:

Rule Book. ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct 2022 ed. ISBN 9781639051281. There is also an e-book available. Order from amazon.com or www.ShopABA.org. The product code on the ABA website is 2150083. Past editions are OK. This is the least expensive publication that contains both the rules and the comments. Other MRPC rule books are also OK. The ABA Model Rules are also available online but your access to online sites may be restricted while you are writing the final exam.

Case book. Authors Lerman and Schrag have two versions of their casebook. One is the full text. That is the fifth edition described below. The other is the concise edition, which is the fourth edition described below. Either is fine for this course. Prior editions are also fine. You may purchase or rent either. I believe e-books are also available.

Lisa Lerman & Philip Schrag, Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law. Full 5th edition (Wolters Kluwer 2020). ISBN: 9781543804669.
OR
Lisa Lerman and Philip Schrag, Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law Concise Edition. 4th edition (Wolters Kluwer 2016). ISBN-13: 978-1454891284 or ISBN-10: 1454891289. This is a shorter version of the full text casebook but the savings are not significant. Prior editions are fine.

Requirements Satisfaction:


This class satisfies the Professional Responsibility Requirement.


Exam Notes: (TH) Take-home examination
Course Category: Bar Courses

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