Lawyers Crossing Lines: Ten Stories » (2nd Edition)

Michael Seigel is a professor at the University of Florida Frederic G. Levin College of Law. James L. Kelley was, before his death, an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University School of Law.

Lawyers Crossing Lines is a collection of true stories about lawyers from all segments of the legal profession who transgressed ethical boundaries. Most of them ended up being sanctioned by their state Bar, sued for malpractice, prosecuted, or some combination of all three. All of the cases are rich in detail, many are bizarre, and in a few the attorney's conduct is so outrageous as to stretch the reader's credulity. Each tale is followed by comments and questions designed to explore the issues in greater depth. This diminutive but captivating volume is intended as a supplemental text for students in professional responsibility courses at American law schools. It can also be used as the foundation for an advanced seminar in ethics. It is based on the proposition that, although the rules of professional responsibility are, of course, of supreme importance, sometimes the study of them can be monotonous and dry. More important, students-none of whom have been in law practice and most of whom have never been out in the working world-often find it hard to believe that the rules can be so easily and egregiously broken. These real world scenarios bring the ethical quandaries faced in everyday legal practice to life. The stories come from all segments of the legal profession and make fascinating and memorable reading. No other book on the market takes this narrative approach, making this an important and unique contribution to the field. A teacher's manual is available.

Ch. 1 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do 3

Ch. 2 From White Knight to Rogue: The Unraveling of a Veteran Prosecutor 17

Ch. 3 The Ironic Road to Club Fed 51

Ch. 4 The Legal Doctor Kevorkian 69

Ch. 5 The Case of Casanova and His Clients 91

Ch. 6 Of Chinese Walls and Comfort Zones 111

Ch. 7 Vegas Judge Gone Wild 131

Ch. 8 Lights, Camera, Malfeasance 157

Ch. 9 The Nefarious "Zinkster" 183

Ch. 10 Death of a Client-Confessor 203

Index 219