Fundamental ethical questions abound in lawyering for the President—Who is the client? How far is too far in terms of advocating a legal position? When, if ever, is it appropriate to follow directives from the President? What is the proper balance between privileged communications and the public’s right to know? This Symposium will examine how lawyers—public and private—dealt (or should have dealt) with these and other difficult questions in relation to various administrations.
Keynote Address:
Political Independence of Government Lawyers in the Executive Branch by Richard W. Painter (Richey Professor of Corporate Law, University of Minnesota Law School)
Panel 1: Lawyering in the Courtroom: Drawing the Ethical Line Between Zealous and Frivolous Advocacy
Panel 2: Lawyering in the Public Domain: The Ethics of Advocating in the Court of Public Opinion
Panel 3: Lawyering in Private: Privilege and Confidentiality – Sacred Protection or Overused Cloak of Secrecy?
6 Total Georgia CLE Credit Hours (1 Ethics, 1 Trial and 1 Professionalism)
Registration required to receive the link for the symposium, which will be sent prior to the event.
Free for community members and University of Georgia students, faculty and staff.
For attorneys seeking Georgia Continuing Legal Education Credits (6 credits, including 1 Ethics Hour, 1Trial Hour and 1 Professionalism Hour), the cost is $24.
The Georgia symposia on professionalism and ethics are made possible by the Honorable Hugh Lawson, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia. In 1999, Lawson oversaw the settlement of a matter that involved allegations of litigation misconduct and, as part of the settlement, four of Georgia's law schools each received an endowment to fund annual symposia dedicated to ethics and professionalism. The symposium series began in 2001, and it rotates among the University of Georgia, Emory University, Georgia State University and Mercer University. The topics addressed by the symposia are determined by professors charged with organizing the events.