{"id":3703,"date":"2005-03-22T13:45:10","date_gmt":"2005-03-22T17:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2005\/03\/22\/help-me-lord\/"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:57:52","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:57:52","slug":"help-me-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2005\/03\/22\/help-me-lord\/","title":{"rendered":"help me, lord"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\n

help me, chaplain<\/EM>:  Tallahassee pesonal injury lawyer <\/FONT><\/FONT>David A. Barrett<\/FONT><\/A> decided to  <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
hire an ordained minister as a “paralegal,” whose duties were to help solicit clients,<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
especially at hospitals.  I’m pleased to say that the Florida Supreme Court has decided<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
that a one-year suspension was not sufficient punishment for Barrett’s ethical violations,<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
and instead disbarred him, adding a stern warning to other lawyers attempting to<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
solicit especially vulnerable clients: <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n
\"ambulance\"  “This type of violation brings dishonor and disgrace not only upon <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
the attorney who has broken the rules but upon the entire legal profession, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
a burden that all attorneys must bear since it affects all of our reputations.   <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
Moreover, such violations harm people who are already in a vulnerable condition, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
which is one of the very reasons these types of solicitations are barred.  Therefore, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
this Court will strictly enforce the rules that prohibit these improper solicitations <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
and impose severe sanctions on those who commit violations of them.”  <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
The Florida Bar v. Barrett<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A>, ___ So.2d ___ (Fla., No. SC03-375, 3\/17\/2005) (via <\/FONT><\/FONT>sunEthics<\/FONT><\/A>)<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
Click <\/FONT>here<\/FONT><\/A> for a transcript of arguments before the Court, part of the <\/FONT>Gavel2Gavel<\/FONT><\/A> coverage<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
offered by WSFU, the local PBS <\/FONT>and NPR affiliate.<\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
 <\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

\n
sin after sin. . .<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
the old priest<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
stifles a yawn<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
          ED MARKOWSKI<\/FONT>, from pop up<\/EM><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
                                    <\/EM>tribe press, 2004<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
\"tiny  help me help myself:   <\/EM>A <\/FONT><\/FONT>report by the Judicial Council of California<\/FONT><\/A> has very good news: <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
Self-help centers in state trial courts are helping thousands of Californians who need legal <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
assistance and cannot afford an attorney<\/FONT><\/SPAN>: <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n

\n
“The report is good news for the courts and all Californians,” said William C.   \"scales<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
Vickrey, Administrative Director of the Courts. “For the past decade, the number <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
of people coming to courts without lawyers has grown dramatically, especially in <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
family law cases. Self-help centers are meeting the critical need for legal information <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
by removing economic barriers that prevent access to our courts. In addition, these <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
programs are making our courts more efficient and are improving public trust and <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
confidence in our justice system.” (via <\/FONT><\/FONT>selfhelpsupport<\/FONT><\/A>.org)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
<\/SPAN>Of course, as we <\/FONT><\/FONT>pointed out<\/FONT><\/A> in 2003<\/FONT> when discussing programs in Nevada, and as has been <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
acknowledged by the <\/FONT>New Hampshire courts<\/FONT><\/A>,  it’s not just the poor who benefit from such coordinated <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
self-help effforts — every<\/EM> American has the right<\/EM> to represent himself or herself and our justice <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
system, to the extent possible.  With programs like those in California and Nevada leading the <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
way, there is no excuse for other states to put off joining the self-help revolution.  The “lawyer tax<\/EM>” <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
can be greatly reduced for those who want to enter to the civil justice system.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n

\n
blackout<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
bright lit<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
Amish windows<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
         ED MARKOWSKI<\/FONT><\/FONT>,<\/FONT> from pop up<\/EM><\/FONT>
\n
                                  <\/EM>tribe press, 2004<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/SPAN>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
\"tiny  help me, librarian<\/EM>:   An evaluation of computer-based self-help programs in Alaska includes good <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
advice to those wanting to embark upon a similar project: “[E]xplore the creation of a three-way <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
partnership between the local legal services organization, the court (that being the pro se<\/EM> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
service department and the law library), and the local public library system“<\/EM><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n

\n
<\/SPAN>We feel that libraries <\/FONT><\/EM><\/SPAN>could and should be involved because facilitating <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
access to information for the public is what they <\/SPAN>do, and the Internet’s <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/EM><\/DIV>
\n
spawning of public use terminals has meant that the libraries are developing <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN>extraordinary expertise in the technological side of providing these services <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
to the public”<\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n

\n
(<\/FONT>Alaska Statewide Interactive Network<\/FONT><\/A>, from its <\/FONT>Project Evaluation and Project Report<\/FONT><\/A><\/FONT><\/SPAN>, <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
March 9, 2005) (via <\/FONT><\/FONT>selfhelpsupport.com<\/FONT><\/A>).<\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
\"ekg\"  help me avoid the AmLaw 100<\/EM>:   I say “bravo!” to the large corporations that are developing  <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
technology that will greatly reduce their legal bills. See <\/FONT>AdamSmithEsq<\/FONT><\/A>, March 21, 2005.   Once <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
developed and refined, it will surely spread, and trickled down to smaller companies and consumers.  <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
If (as I have often argued) much of what lawyers do can be done using sophisticated (or even non-<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
sophisticated) technology, it is not<\/EM> the role of the bar, or of individual firms and lawyers, to discourage <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
clients from seeking the efficiencies brought about the digital revolution.  From the client’s point of <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
new, it is progress, even if there will be occasions when paying more for legal advice would have yielded <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
a better result.  Making that trade-off is the client’s right. Yes, this will be “<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>disruptive<\/FONT><\/A>” for many lawyers,<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
but that reality does not change our duty to put the clients’ interests first — to act like a learned profession<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
rather than a guild.<\/FONT>  <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
\"tiny  help me keep my assignments<\/EM>:  I’m not surprised that a representative of assigned counsel in <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
Massachusetts opposes moving to a public defender system for indigent criminal defendants. <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
(The Springfield Republican<\/EM>,”Legal compensation raise argued<\/A><\/EM>,”  March 22, 2005) However, I <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
continue to believe<\/FONT><\/A> that<\/FONT> an adequately-funded and supervised public defender system will mean <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
higher quality representation in general for the indigent client. <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
\"tiny  help me cover-up my sins<\/EM>: Walter Olson<\/A> has an amazing follow-up to the Texas girlfriend-<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
on-the-jury story.  It’s so good, I’ll let him tell you here<\/A>.  (our prior post<\/FONT><\/A>)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
 <\/FONT>
\n
from <\/FONT>dagosan<\/EM><\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A>,<\/FONT><\/EM><\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n
big thaw overnight –<\/DIV>
\n
reflections <\/DIV>
\n
on the river<\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
                                   [<\/FONT>March 22, 2005]<\/FONT><\/EM><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

help me, chaplain:  Tallahassee pesonal injury lawyer David A. Barrett decided to  hire an ordained minister as a “paralegal,” whose duties were to help solicit clients, especially at hospitals.  I’m pleased to say that the Florida Supreme Court has decided that a one-year suspension was not sufficient punishment for Barrett’s ethical violations, and instead disbarred him, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-XJ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"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=3703"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13307,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3703\/revisions\/13307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}