Opinions

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

The Committee on Professional Ethics issues opinions pursuant to Tex. Gov’t. Code §81.091- 81.095.  §81.091(a) states that “[t]he committee shall, either on its own initiative or when requested to do so by a member of the state bar, express its opinion on the propriety of professional conduct other than on a question pending before a court of this state.”   The nine members of the Committee are appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas.

For proposed opinions open for comment, visit the State Bar of Texas website.

• Opinion 560

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 560
  Cite: The Supreme Court of TexasProfessional Ethics Committee
  Date: August 2005

  May a law firm lease its lawyer and nonlawyer personnel from an unaffiliated employee leasing company that leases lawyers and nonlawyer personnel to other law firms?

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• Opinion 559

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 559
  Cite: The Supreme Court of Texas Professional Ethics Committee
  Date: July 2005

  May a lawyer who is appointed to represent a defendant in a criminal proceeding furnish to a court, in connection with obtaining payment for the lawyer's services, a detailed description of the lawyer's services, including the subject matter of records and documents obtained and reviewed, the subjects of legal research carried out, and the identity of persons contacted and interviewed?

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• Opinion 558

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 558
  Cite: The Supreme Court of Texas Professional Ethics Committee
  Date: May 2005

  May a lawyer borrow money for case expenses from an independent lending company and agree to pay the lender a percentage of the lawyer's contingency fee?

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• Opinion 557

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 557
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: May 2005

  May a lawyer continue to represent in a lawsuit a client who has expressed strong disagreement with the lawyer’s recommendation about the settlement value of the case to the point that the client has sought the advice of a malpractice lawyer?

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• Opinion 556

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 556
  Cite: Texas Bar Journal July, 2005 Feature Ethic Opinion Issued by the Professional Ethics Committee
  Date: MAY 2005

  May a law firm provide client information to employees of a collection agency who act as borrowed employees of the law firm in assisting it in collection of past due receivables?

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• Opinion 555

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 555
  Cite: The Supreme Court of Texas Professional Ethics Committee
  Date: December 2004

  Is it permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for a lawyer to enter into a business arrangement with a chiropractor where the lawyer owns a portion of the chiropractor's practice, the lawyer refers his clients to the chiropractor, and the lawyer receives a share of the profits of the chiropractor's practice, including a share of the profits attributable to the clients referred by the lawyer?

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• Opinion 554

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 554
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee
  Date: August 2004

  Is it permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for a lawyer currently serving as a state Senator or state Representative to represent clients before a city, county, or state court located in the lawyer's legislative district?

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• Opinion 553

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 553
  Cite: Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
  Date: August 2004

  Is a lawyer prohibited from offering the testimony of an expert witness whose employer has entered into a contingent fee contract with the lawyer's client regarding the subject matter of the litigation?

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• Opinion 552

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 552
  Cite: Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
  Date: August 2004

  Is it permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for a lawyer, who has been retained by an insurance company to defend its insured, to (1) furnish to the insurance company's third-party auditor the lawyer's fee statements via electronic mail and (2) pay to the third-party auditor a percentage of the lawyer's fee for auditing such statements?

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• Opinion 551

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 551
  Cite: The Supreme Court of Texas Professional Ethics Committee
  Date: May 2004

  Is it permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct to require a lawyer who was employed as a lawyer by a city to comply with a provision of the city’s Ethics Code that prohibits all former city employees from representing unrelated persons before the city for compensation for a period of two years after termination of employment with the city?

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