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 #: 624
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of texas
Date: February 2013
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may a lawyer representing a client in a misdemeanor case include in an engagement agreement with the client a provision in which the client gives advance authorization for the lawyer to enter a plea of “no contest” or “guilty” in the case?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 623
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
Date: February 2013
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, is a lawyer permitted to telephone a real estate agent’s client concerning possible legal employment after the real estate agent informs the lawyer that the client has requested the lawyer to call? Is this contact permitted if the real estate agent is included in a group of business acquaintances of the lawyer to whom the lawyer regularly provides entertainment and small holiday gifts that are consistent with customary community standards and that are not related to recommendation or employment of the lawyer?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 622
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
Date: January 2013
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may a lawyer obtain information regarding a potential new client’s payment history from a database containing information supplied by other lawyers on the payment history of their clients, structure an engagement agreement to provide legal services to the potential client based upon such information, and thereafter provide to the database information regarding the new client’s payments to the lawyer?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 621
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
Date: October 2012
Do the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct permit a lawyer to cooperate with his client in paying the client’s former lawyer for serving as a witness in a civil proceeding?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 620
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
Date: October 2012
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may a lawyer enter into an agreement with an agent who is acting on behalf of an owner of taxable real property in a property tax appraisal matter under the terms of which the lawyer is engaged to represent the owner in the matter and in the representation the lawyer complies with the requirements of section 42.30 of the Texas Property Tax Code?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 619
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
Date: June 2012
Do the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct permit a prosecutor to require and defense counsel to agree that documents the prosecutor produces to defense counsel may be shown to the defendant but that copies of the documents may not be given to the defendant?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 618
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
Date: June 2012
Do the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct permit lawyers to organize a law firm as a limited partnership in which the general partner is a corporation that is not a professional corporation?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 617
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committe For The State Bar of Texas
Date: May 2012
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct may a lawyer, who is licensed to practice law in Texas and in North Carolina, practice law in North Carolina, without soliciting or representing persons in Texas, under a law firm name that is not permitted under the Texas Disciplinary Rules but that is permitted under the applicable rules of North Carolina law governing the practice of law in North Carolina?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 616
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
Date: April 2012
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may a law firm agree with a for-profit legal service contract company to provide legal services at discounted rates to persons who have contracted with the legal service contract company? May a law firm having such an agreement with a for-profit legal service contract company accept referral fees from lawyers to whom the law firm refers matters that initially come to the firm under the agreement with the company?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 615
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of Texas
Date: April 2012
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may a district attorney take responsibility for the investigation and possible prosecution of a local elected official in a criminal proceeding or a civil removal proceeding when the district attorney previously represented and advised the official on matters relating to the official’s performance of public duties?
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