All opinions of the Committee on Professional Ethics are available online here. To locate a specific opinion or opinions, enter the opinion number or keyword in the appropriate search box below. Licensed attorneys may also call 877-953-5535 for access to opinions
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Canon:
Opinion #: 694
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: July 2022
Is it a violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for a plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer to agree as part of a settlement to personally indemnify and hold harmless the defendant, the defendant’s lawyer, or the defendant’s insurer from medical liens and reimbursement claims? If so, is it a violation of the Rules for the defendant’s lawyer to knowingly induce the plaintiff’s lawyer to enter into such an agreement?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 693
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: February 2022
1. May a lawyer who practices in a private law firm that regularly represents a public entity accept a position with a hiring law firm that is routinely adverse to the public entity, without creating a conflict for all lawyers in the hiring firm?
2. Given that the public entity client is governed by open meetings and open records laws, and aspects of the firm’s representation of the public entity are disclosed publicly or are available under law, does the “generally known” exception to a lawyer’s obligations of confidentiality allow the hiring firm to avoid the migrating lawyer’s conflicts?
3. Does Rule 1.10 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, which allows ethical screening for government lawyers who move to a private law firm, apply to a lawyer who previously represented public entities at a private law firm?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 692
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: October 2021
Does a lawyer have a duty under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct to correct false statements made by his client in response to questioning by the opposing party’s counsel during a deposition?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 691
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: June 2021
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, when may a lawyer represent a client adverse to a former prospective client of the lawyer or another lawyer in the lawyer’s firm?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 690
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: October 2020
Does a lawyer who represents a defendant in a criminal matter violate the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct if, after receiving tangible evidence from the lawyer’s client, the lawyer does not reveal the existence of the evidence until trial and refuses to allow the prosecuting attorney to inspect the evidence until the court orders the lawyer to do so?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 689
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: September 2020
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may a lawyer use a nonlawyer employee to attract prospective clients to a booth in a public place operated by that nonlawyer employee?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 688
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: May 2020
1. When a lawyer retained under a contingent fee agreement withdraws from the representation due to a nonconsentable conflict of interest discovered shortly after he filed plaintiff’s lawsuit, is it a violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for the withdrawing lawyer to refer his client to a lawyer in another law firm and arrange for a division of fees between the withdrawing lawyer and the lawyer to whom the matter is referred?
2. Is it a violation of the Rules for the withdrawing lawyer to reach an agreement with his former client that provides for the withdrawing lawyer to be reimbursed for costs and compensated
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Canon:
Opinion #: 687
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: April 2020
1. Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, must a staff lawyer employed by an insurance company to defend its insureds comply with the company’s guidelines regarding the defense of such cases?
2. What are a lawyer’s obligations if an insurance company cuts a staff lawyer’s support staff?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 686
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: January 2020
May a Texas lawyer practice law as an associate or other non-partner firm lawyer—and the only lawyer in the Texas office—of a law firm whose partners are only licensed to practice law outside of Texas?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 685
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Date: January 2020
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may lawyers encourage current and former clients to post positive reviews or comments and favorable “star” ratings of the lawyer through a search engine’s or social media platform’s review feature?
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