Use this Research Guide as a pathfinder to materials on Legal Ethics. It will point you to materials held by The Cleveland Law Library and Internet accessible resources.

Annotated versions of Ohio's Code of Professional Responsibility, Code of Judicial Conduct, Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Bar, and Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Judiciary are contained in Title 19 of Page's Ohio Revised Code and in Baldwin's Ohio Revised Code: Rules of Court, Miscellaneous Rules. They can also be found on Westlaw and Lexis. See links below for weblinks to codes and rules.

New Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct - Effective Feb. 1, 2007. This link includes a correlation chart to the Code of Professional Responsibility.

• Coleman, Deborah A., New Ohio Ethics Rules, 77 (No. 11) CLEVELAND BAR JOURNAL, October 2006
• Heffernan, Michael, Mind Your Fees and Q’s: Ohio’s New Professional Conduct Rules Set for 2007, 77 (No. 11) CLEVELAND BAR JOURNAL, October 2006
• Mueller, John, et.al, New Ethics Rules: What Lawyers Need to Know, Part I, OHIO LAWYER, Nov./Dec. 2006, p. 9.
• Mueller, John, et.al, New Ethics Rules: What Lawyers Need to Know, Part II, OHIO LAWYER, Jan/Feb 2007, p. 12.
• Ethics, Professionalism and Substance Abuse Cleveland Law Library CLE, Nov. 16, 2006. Joseph N. Gross, Esq. gave a presentation entitled "The Conflict of Interest Rules Under the New Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct".
• The New Ohio Rules of Ethics, Ohio State Bar Association CLE, Oct. 10, 2006. KFO76.5.A2 N48 2006.
• End of Year Ethics, Ohio State Bar Association CLE, Dec. 29, 2006. KFO76.5.A2 E58 2006.
• Ethics Satellite, Ohio State Bar Association CLE, Nov. 30, 2006.

Sources For Ohio and Cleveland Ethics Opinions

• Cleveland Bar Ethics Opinions: KFO76.5 .A2 C65x 1949 - Present; Summaries online: CBA Advisory Opinions

• Ohio Ethics Commission Advisory Opinions: KFO406 .A554 1974 - Present; Ohio Ethics Commission Advisory Opinions - 1974 and later. Ohio Ethics Commission opinions are also available on Westlaw (1977- Current) and Ohio Capital Connection (1987- Current)

• Ohio State Bar Association Formal & Informal Opinions: KFO76.5 .A2 O33x; Ohio State Bar Casemaker (OSBA members only)

• Supreme Court of Ohio Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline Advisory Opinions: KFO76.5 .A2 S96 1987- Present - Advisory Opinions. Ohio Capital Connection also has the opinions of the Supreme Court of Ohio Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline (1986 - Current).

• Ohio Capital Connection also has the opinions of the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee (1995 - Current). Joint Legislative Ethics Committee Advisory Opinions.

• The Law of Professional Responsibility in Ohio, Jack A. Guttenberg. KFO76.5 .A2 G97 1992, with 1998 supplement.

• Lawyer's Guide to the Ohio Code of Professional Responsibility, Arthur F. Greenbaum. KFO 76.5 .A2 G74 1996

• Report of the Supreme Court Task Force on the Unathorized Practice of Law, Joseph Cook Sr. KFO76.5 .A2 C66 1993

• Various Ohio CLE books

  
  

OHIO
• New Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct - Effective Feb. 1, 2007.

• Proposed Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct

• Code of Professional Responsibility

• Supreme Court Rules for Government of the Bar

• Supreme Court Rules for Governance of the Judiciary

• Code of Judicial Conduct

• Ohio Supreme Court Board of Commissioners on Grievance and Discipline: Links to codes of ethics and advisory opinions.

• Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

• Ohio Ethics Commission:Reviews ethics issues concerning Ohio's "executive" branch. Contains Ohio Ethics Commission Advisory Opinions.

• Joint Legislative Ethics Committee

• Counsel on Governmental Ethics Laws

• Ohio State Bar Casemaker: OSBA members can access OSBA formal and informal opinions, as well as Board of Commisssioners on Grievance and Discipline opinions.

• CBA Advisory Opinions (summaries only)

• Ohio Supreme Court Opinions: Type in "ethics" as a search term.

NATIONAL
Portals
• ABA Center for Professional Responsibility: Contains copies of ABA model rules and standards, and summaries of ABA ethics opinions. Provides links to state disciplinary agencies, state ethics opinions and rules. Also contains National Lawyer Regulatory Databank, which performs national searches for disciplinary information on an attorney for a fee.

• American Legal Ethics Library: Links to opinions, code of professional conduct, code of judicial conduct and disciplinary procedures for the fifty states. Contains a topical outline of codes of professional responsibility, and links to each state code section for that topic. Includes material on multidisciplinary practice.

• Legalethics.com: Links to state ethics materials and articles on ethics.

• FindLaw

• Hieros Gamos

• Megalaw.com

• Jurist

• Zimmerman's Research Guides: Ethics

• Frievogel on Conflicts:"A practical online guide to conflicts of interest for lawyers with sophisticated business and litigation practices."

  Associations

• American Judicature Society: Center for Judicial Ethics. Contains Judicial Ethics Advisory Opinions.

• ABA Standing Committee on Lawyer's Professional Liability: Legal malpractice claim statistics, malpractice prevention information, insurance for lawyers.

• National Organization of Bar Counsel: Ethics links and summaries of current ethics cases.

• The Federalist Society: Professional Responsibility, Legal Ethics, and Legal Education News

• Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers
  Government Websites

• United States Office of Government Ethics

• There are more Internet links below for specific ethics opinions, model rules, etc.

• Legal Ethics Forum

• Wishlaw Legal Ethics - mailing list.

• Cleveland Law Library Blog, Ethics Section

• Advertising in the Legal Profession: A Descriptive Bibliography and Reference Guide, Jay Stein. KF310 .A3 S73 1993

• Directory of Lawyer Disciplinary Agencies, by the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility. KF305 .A15 A44 1996

• The Ethical Family Lawyer: A Practical Guide Avoiding Professional Dilemmas, by Louis Parley. KF311 .P37 1995

• Hillman on Lawyer Mobility: The Ethics of Partner Withdrawals and Law Firm Breakups, by Robert W. Hillman. KF300 .H55 1994

• Judicial Conduct and Ethics, by Jeffrey M. Sharman. KF8779 .S47 1995

• The Law of Lawyering: A Handbook on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, by Geoffrey C. Hazard. KF306 .H33 1990

• Lawyer Advertising at the Crossroads: Professional Policy Considerations. KF310 .A3 L39 1995

• Lawyers' Ethics in an Adversary System, by Monroe H. Freedman. KF306 .F74 (1975)

• Lawyer Regulation for a New Century. KF308 .L3 1992

• The Legal Assistant's Practical Guide to Professional Responsibility. KF306 .Z9 G3 1998

• Legal Ethics for Management and Their Counsel, by Len Biernat and R. Hunter Manson. KF306 .Z9 L443 1998

• Legal Ethics in the Practice of Law, by Richard A. Zitrin and Carol M. Langford. KF306 .Z57 1995

• Legal Tender: A Lawyer's Guide to Handling Professional Dilemmas, by Lawrence J. Fox. KF306 .Z9 F69 1995

• Modern Legal Ethics, Practitioner's Edition, by Charles W. Wolfram. KF306 .W59 1986

• Modern Litigation and Professional Responsibility Handbook: The Limits of Zealous Advocacy, by William H. Fortune, Richard H. Underwood and Edward J. Imwinkelried. KF306 .F67 1996

• Professional Responsibility in a Nutshell, by Robert H. Aronson. 2d ed. KF306 .Z9 A76 1991

• Professional Responsibility of the Criminal Lawyer, by John Wesley Hall. KF306 .H27 1996

• Provisions of State Codes of Professional Responsibility Regarding Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation, KF310 .A3 Z956 1990

• Skills and Ethics in the Practice of Law. KF300 .S54 1993

• Ethics; An International Journal of Social, Political and Legal Philosophy

• The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics

• The Professional Lawyer

  
  

• Arthur Miller Roundtable: Lawyers Serving on Clients' Boards and Financial Transactions with Clients, American Bar Association. KF306.A5 A7v 1992

• The Deadly Dozen: Twelve of the Most Common Mistakes Lawyers Make in Dealing with Their Clients, Practising Law Institute. KF300.Z9 F7 1989

• Effective Discipline Policies for Law Firm Employees, American Law Institute. KF318.Z9 E33 1993

• Emerging Issues in Professional Responsibility and Malpractice, American Bar Association. KF313 .E44 1994 (Two Videocassettes)

• Ethical Dilemmas and Professionalism: Associate/Partner Relations, ABA Center for Professional Responsibility. KF306.A5 E84 1989 (Five part series with tapes on Associate Partner Relations, the Attorney/Client Relationship, Client Confidentiality, Conflicts of Interest, and Independence of Counsel).

• Ethics in Litigation: From First Client Interview Through Trial, with Paul J. Zwier. KF306 .Z7 1991

• Ethics Management in the Law Office, American Law Institute. KF306 .E83 1994

• The Judicial Response to Misconduct. KF 308 .A5 J898 1995

• Law Firm Marketing and Professional Responsibility, American Law Institute. KF316.5 L39 1991

• Law Firms and Ancillary Business Activities: Conflict Between Professionalism and the Practice of Law, American Law Institue. KF315 .L39 1991x

• Law Office Confidentiality, State Bar of Wisconsin. KF310 .C66 L38 1988

• Law Office Confidentiality II: New Concerns, State Bar of Wisconsin. KF310 .C66 L38 1991

• Legal Ethics for Support Staff, State Bar of Wisconsin. KF306 .Z9 .L44 1993

• Legal Ethics in an Unethical World, NITA. BJ55 .M67 1992

• Professional Responsibility for Lawyers, A Guided Course: Representing the Corporate Client: The Saga of Albinex, Comerce Clearing House, Inc. in cooperation with the Center on Professionalism of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. KF277.L4 M93

• Professional Responsibility for Lawyers, A Guided Course: Conflicts of Intertest in Corporate Transactions: The Leveraged Buyout of the Harris Chemical Company, Comerce Clearing House, Inc. in cooperation with the Center on Professionalism of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. KF277.L4 P4 1989

• Professional Responsibility for Lawyers, A Guided Course: Counseling and Negotiation: The Settlement of Lancer v. American Steel Co., Comerce Clearing House, Inc. in cooperation with the Center on Professionalism of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. KF277.L4 P478 1991

• Professional Responsibility for Lawyers, A Guided Course: Conflicts and Confidentiality: Trouble at Upper Black Eddy, Comerce Clearing House, Inc. in cooperation with the Center on Professionalism of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. KF277.L4 S24

• Professional Responsibility for Lawyers, A Guided Course: Professional Responsibility in Pretrial Litigation, Commerce Clearing House, Inc. in cooperation with the Center on Professionalism of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. KF305 .Z9 V56 1990

• Professionalism in the Law Office, Ohio State Bar Association. KF 306 .Z9 P76 1988x

• The Trial of the Modern Lawyer, American Bar Association. KF308.Z9 T74 1992

• Understanding Modern Ethical Standards: Protection of Client Confidences, National Institute for Trial Advocacy. KF306 .U52 1985 No. 1

• Understanding Modern Ethical Standards: Conflicts of Interest, National Institute for Trial Advocacy. KF306 .U52 1985 No.2

• Understanding Modern Ethical Standards: Limits on the Zeal of Representation, National Institute for Trial Advocacy. KF306 .U52 1985 No. 3

• A Video Guide to Professional Conduct, Part One: Overview, American Law Institute. KF305 .V54 1988x

• A Video Guide to Professional Conduct, Part Two: Civil Litigation, American Law Institute. KF305 .V54 1989x

• A Video Guide to Professional Conduct, Part Three: Corporate Representation, American Law Institute. KF305 .V55 1989x

• A Video Guide to Professional Conduct, Part Four: Conflict of Interest, American Law Institute. KF305 .V56 1989x

• What Is a Lawyer? ATLA Press. KF297 .W42 1993

• Winning . . . Without Losing Your Professionalism, American Bar Association. KF 306.W56 1997

  
  

• ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct

• ABA Model Rules and Standards

• ABA Compendium of Professional Responsibility Rules and Standards. KF 305 .A2 1997

• ABA/BNA Lawyer's Manual on Professional Conduct, BNA. KF305 .A16

• Annotated Model Rules of Professional Conduct, ABA. KF305 .A2 1996

• Codes of Professional Responsibility, by Rena A. Gorlin (ed.). KF306 .Z .C62 1994

• Restatement of the Law (Third), The Law Governing Lawyers,ALI. KF395.A243 L391 2000 Vo1. 1 & 2.

• Restatement of the Law (Third), The Law Governing Lawyers, Tentative Draft No. 8, ALI. KF395 .L382 1997

• Restatement of the Law (Third), The Law Governing Lawyers, Proposed Final Drafts Nos. 1-2, ALI, KF395 .A243 L39 1996 (No. 1), 1998 (No. 2)

  
  

• ABA Ethics Opinion Summaries from 1996

• ABA Compendium of Professional Responsibility Rules and Standards. KF 305 .A2 1997

• ABA/BNA Lawyer's Manual on Professional Conduct, BNA. KF305 .A16

• Digest of Bar Association Ethics Opinions, by Olavi Maru. KF305 .A2 1970 (!970, 1975, 1980 Supplements)

• Formal and Informal Ethics Opinions, ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. KF305 .A2 1985 (Formal Ops. 316-348 and Informal Ops. 1285-1495)

• Informal Ethics Opinions, ABA Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. KF305 .A2 1975 (vols. I and II) (Informal Ops. C230(a) - 1284)

• Opinions on Professional Ethics, American Bar Association. KF305 .A2 1967 (Formal Ops. 1-315)

  
  

Digested versions of various state and local bar associations appear in the ABA/BNA Lawyer's Manual on Professional Conduct. It is a good idea to check the Internet sites listed above to see if the opinions you need may be available on a state bar association web site. You can also try ABA Links to Legal Ethics Pages or American Legal Ethics Library or National Lawyer Regulatory Databank(fee service) to locate ethics opinions from different states. Aside from the Ohio opinions, the following full text sources are available in the Library:

• DC Rules of Professional Conduct, KFD1276 .A2 D57 1992. (Contains opinions of the D.C. Bar Legal Ethics Committee)

• New York Code of Professional Responsibility: Opinions, Commentary, and Case Law. KFN5076 .a2 n49 1997

• New York State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics Formal Opinions, 1974 to present. KFN5076 .A2 N4

• Code of Virginia 1950, Annotated: Legal Ethics and Unauthorized Practice Opinions. KFV2430 .A4 1950.

In addition to the above, Lexis and Westlaw contain various states' ethics opinions. Check with a librarian for details on a particular state. Many state bar associations publish their opinions within their respective bar journals. The Library holds most of those journals on microfiche, or can access them online.

Revised 5/25/99
Michael C. Asseff
Reference and Research Services Librarian

Created on: February 24, 1997 -