{"id":5239,"date":"2006-02-28T12:23:46","date_gmt":"2006-02-28T16:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/more-esqchecker\/"},"modified":"2009-02-21T15:47:39","modified_gmt":"2009-02-21T20:47:39","slug":"more-esqchecker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/more-esqchecker\/","title":{"rendered":"more EsqChecker"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

We had forgotten all about ethicalEsq<\/i>‘s EsqChecker<\/i><\/b> project<\/font><\/span> (an <\/font><\/span>“ethics certification” — seal of approval — program), until<\/font><\/span> last night, while looking for our founding editor’s valedictory post<\/font><\/a>.<\/font><\/span>  In the process, we located <\/font>Professor Yabut<\/font><\/a>‘s brief self-introduction as<\/font><\/span> the new editor, along with his scandalized account (see below) of<\/font><\/span> the EsqChecke<\/i>r program. [see <\/font>ethicalEsq Sells Out<\/font><\/a>, April 1, 2004] <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
esq <\/b><\/i><\/font><\/font><\/span>\"\" er<\/b><\/i><\/font><\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Of course, it’s been almost two years since that naive post by Prof. Y. <\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
Over that time, the legal <\/span>profession has been consistently<\/a> advised<\/font><\/a> by <\/span><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n
marketing<\/a> <\/span>gurus<\/font><\/a> <\/span>to embrace<\/a> branding and value billing and such, as a <\/span><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n
way to <\/span>reach out <\/span>and touch a better<\/i> class of clients, while claiming <\/span><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n
the highest ethical standards <\/span><\/font><\/font>(see our <\/font>prior post<\/font><\/a>).  So, we’re going to <\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
tell you about EsqChecker<\/b><\/i> again<\/font><\/span>, to see if our readers think it is a viable<\/i> <\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
program.<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\"\" Here are relevant parts from Professor Yabut’s post<\/font><\/a>, detailing<\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/font>what he found out about EsqChecker:<\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

The self-proclaimed ethicalEsq<\/i> has apparently abandoned<\/i> this weblog — to get rich <\/font><\/div>\n
quick through <\/font>an “ethics certification” program called EsqChecker<\/b><\/i>.  Previous Editor <\/font><\/div>\n
vanished so quickly that <\/font>there has been no time to compose a proper introduction <\/font><\/div>\n
of myself or our faithful mascot Donkey O. T.<\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"donkey\" . . Donkey O.T.<\/b><\/font><\/i><\/font><\/div>\n
our mascot . .<\/font><\/font><\/i><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/div>\n
The little that we have learned about the plans and schemes of the so-called ethicalEsq <\/i><\/font><\/div>\n
has been gleaned from metadata<\/a> hidden in his curt farewell notice.  The hidden text <\/font><\/div>\n
appears to be the rough draft<\/i> of a brochure for <\/b>EsqChecker<\/b>.<\/i> Here are its contents:<\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
________________________________<\/font><\/div>\n
\n
\"announcing<\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
EsqChecker<\/font> . . . your firm’s key to credibility (and higher profits)<\/i><\/b><\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
with the EsqChecker logo<\/b>, you can<\/font><\/i><\/div>\n
leverage the <\/b><\/font>ethicalEsq brand<\/font><\/a> to gain <\/font><\/font><\/i><\/div>\n
instant trust and respectability<\/font><\/font><\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
esq \"red er <\/font><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
– we sent our check to ethicalEsq<\/font><\/i><\/div>\n
and he gave us this one  –<\/font><\/i><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
faq<\/b><\/i><\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"tiny Is there a Code of Conduct<\/u> for EsqChecker members?<\/font><\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Of course not.  ethicalEsq <\/i>respects the <\/font>self-disciplinary<\/font><\/a> tradition of <\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
the legal profession.  We at EsqChecker<\/i> take your word (and your <\/font><\/div>\n
check).<\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"tiny Are any fees<\/u> involved?<\/i><\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Is that a trick question?  Of course, there are.<\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"tiny How much<\/u>?<\/font><\/font><\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
We at EsqChecker<\/i>, and our parent organization ethicalEsq, PC,<\/i> strongly <\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
believe that our members come first.  Therefore, we subscribe whole-heartedly<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
to the concept of <\/font>value billing<\/font><\/a>.   So, you tell us<\/i> how much you think it’s worth<\/i> <\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
to achieve an instant reputation for the highest level of integrity and profession-<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
alism.  Trust us, if your commitment to integrity is not high enough,we will let <\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
you know.<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"tiny What else<\/u> do we need to know about EsqChecker?<\/font><\/font><\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
If there were more you needed to know, we would have told you.<\/font><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
__________________________________<\/font><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/div>\n
Postscript:<\/i> Using metadata-mining techniques unknown to Prof. Yabut, we’ve discovered <\/font><\/div>\n
another <\/font>EsqChecker<\/b><\/i> alternative that seems designed to invoke a healthy rivalry among <\/font><\/div>\n
law <\/font>firms, to show who cares the most about achieving a reputation for ethical probity. <\/font><\/div>\n
Here’s the description of EsqChecker Ltd<\/i><\/b>:<\/font><\/div>\n
\n
\"tiny EsqChecker Ltd<\/font><\/i><\/b>:<\/font>is a way to stand out among the<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n
crowd of law firms who have jumped on the better-ethics <\/font><\/div>\n
bandwagon.  By acting quickly and demonstrating an <\/i><\/font><\/div>\n
extra<\/i><\/font>ordinary level of commitment<\/i> to integrity, your firm <\/font><\/div>\n
can become the exclusive EsqChecker<\/b><\/i> recipient in your <\/font><\/div>\n
region for your chosen field of law. <\/font><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
This is all very exciting, in a profession where attracting and keeping the best clients <\/font><\/div>\n
depends more and more on “earning” the best image.  Let us know if you’d like to <\/font><\/div>\n
become the first law firm on your block to affiliate with ethicalEsq’s exciting program.<\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
do you have yours?<\/font><\/i><\/b> \"red<\/font><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We had forgotten all about ethicalEsq‘s EsqChecker project (an “ethics certification” — seal of approval — program), until last night, while looking for our founding editor’s valedictory post.  In the process, we located Professor Yabut‘s brief self-introduction as the new editor, along with his scandalized account (see below) of the EsqChecker program. [see ethicalEsq Sells […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5239","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P6kP1R-1mv","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5239\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}