Meet your liaison to the Center for Professional Responsibility!
Matthew Christensen - ABA Young Lawyers Division Liaison
I’m Matt Christensen, and I’m the 2006-2008 Young Lawyers Division Liaison to the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility. I currently practice business law and estate planning with a 3 attorney firm in Meridian, Idaho.
I have now been involved with the Center for Professional Responsibility for over 4 years. I first became involved with the Center because I was interested in how legal ethics affects attorneys in practice. While a law student, I worked with the Center to increase law student awareness of legal ethics and law student membership in the Center. Now, as a young lawyer, that interest continues. As the YLD liaison, my most important duty is to keep the Center informed of YLD activities that deal with legal ethics, and to keep the YLD informed of legal ethics activities of interest to young lawyers.
Legal ethics and professional responsibility affects every lawyer in the country – no matter your practice area, and no matter your age. As attorneys new to the practice of law, young attorneys have a special duty to be aware of legal ethics issues that may arise in their practice, and strive to avoid the problems which can lead to disciplinary action and - even more importantly - client dissatisfaction. Further, he ethical issues affecting young solo and small firm lawyers are especially difficult, as you likely do not have the senior lawyer to look to for advice that you would in a larger firm. Through my involvement in the Center, I’ve tried to help make law students and young lawyers more aware of the types of ethical issues which may arise in their practice.
The Center is currently reaching out to young lawyers by showcasing and developing new resources which are targeted towards, and beneficial to, young attorneys. As I continue my involvement as liaison, I hope to help make the Center an even greater benefit to young lawyers.
As a young lawyer, we have duties to our clients, our senior attorneys, and the staff who work for us. Ethics and professional responsibility issues affect our practice every day of our lives. Developing a strong ethical foundation as a young lawyer will set the tone for our practices for years to come.
The Center for Professional Responsibility has long been the leader in ethics and professional responsibility issues. As the Center expands is scope, and reaches out to young lawyers even more, it will continue to be a great resource for young lawyers striving to practice law ethically and professionally.
Contact information
email: matt@marshallandstark.com
