CLIENT PROTECTION

An important element of a lawyer's professional responsibility is to be responsive to the concerns and best interests of the client population through programs that serve to prevent or redress harm done in the practice of law or the rendering of legal services. This includes instances of direct, personal harm, such as the theft of client property by a lawyer as well as sometimes less obvious harm that can be caused by a person who renders legal services although not licensed as a lawyer in the jurisdiction.

• Client Protection Rules Online
• 26th National Forum on Client Protection, Seattle, June 4-5, 2010
• ABA Standing Committee on Client Protection
• National Client Protection Organization
• Model Rule on Financial Recordkeeping: At the 2010 ABA Midyear Meeting in Orlando, FL, the Standing Committee on Client Protection will recommend to the House of Delegates the adoption of amendments to the ABA Model Rule on Financial Recordkeeping. The proposed Report and Recommendation can be found here. We invite your comment on the proposed amendments. Please send comments to Selina S. Thomas, Associate Client Protection Counsel at 312/988-6721 or thomass@staff.abanet.org. As the filing deadline is close of business on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, we would appreciate receiving your comments on the proposed amendments no later than Thursday, November 12, 2009.

• Fee Arbitration
• Financial Recordkeeping
• Insurance Disclosure
• Lawyers' Funds for Client Protection
• Mediation of Client-Lawyer Disputes
• Multijurisdictional Practice
• Payee Notification
• Planning for Lawyer Retirement, Death or Disability
• Random Audit of Trust Accounts
• State by State Adoption of ABA Client Protection Programs
• Trust Account Overdraft Notification
• Unlicensed Practice of Law
• Provision of Legal Services Following Determination of Major Disaster
• Client Protection Organizations

• Directory of Fee Arbitration Programs
• Directory of Lawyers' Funds for Client Protection
• Directory of Unauthorized Practice of Law Committees

• 2005-2007 Survey of Lawyers' Funds for Client Protection
• 2002-2004 Survey of Lawyers' Funds for Client Protection

• 2009 Survey of Unlicensed Practice of Law Committees
• 2009 Questionnaire for Survey of Unlicensed Practice of Law Committees
• 2004 Survey of Unlicensed Practice of Law Committees

• 2008 Survey of Fee Arbitration Programs