COURSE DESCRIPTION
Effective communication is key to a successful legal practice, especially when dealing with opposing counsel and the courts. This session explores the ethical and professional responsibilities lawyers have in their communications, offering strategies to maintain professionalism even in contentious situations. Learn how to navigate challenging interactions while upholding your ethical obligations.
Highlights:
- The ethical guidelines governing communications with opposing counsel.
- Best practices for clear and professional court filings and oral advocacy.
- Strategies for managing contentious or unprofessional opposing counsel.
- Avoiding ethical pitfalls in email and written correspondence.
- Real-life examples of communication missteps and how to avoid them.
Speaker:
Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections. For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation. Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.