Spencer Fane attorney Nick Badgerow spoke at 23rd Annual Symposium on Legal Malpractice & Ethics – an event hosted by St. Mary’s Law Journal – on January 26 in San Antonio, Texas.
Every year, the symposium provides thought-provoking CLE sessions led by legal thought leaders from all across the country. The event programming centers on new developments in legal ethics and how to implement best practices in your legal career. This year’s topics include everything from artificial intelligence to legal malpractice to character education and the Supreme Court.
Nick’s presentation, The Ethical Lawyer: Beyond the Rules, outlines the themes present in his recently published St. Mary’s Law Journal article of the same name. In it, Nick considers “what it means to be a true ‘professional’ in the practice of the law.” He posits that attorneys should go beyond the minimum standard for professional conduct.
“A lawyer must recognize that he/she is not merely a technician, mechanically applying legal rules to factual settings. Every lawyer is a professional, and must be mindful of: (1) the requirements of the oath of admission; (2) the requirements of the Rules of Professional Conduct; and (3) the provisions of any applicable Creed of Professionalism in his/her particular jurisdiction,” Nick shares. “But above all of these should be the lawyer’s own moral compass, the inherent need to do justice, humbly, meekly, mercifully, and patiently.”
At Spencer Fane, Nick harnesses over 40 years of experience while trying complex and difficult cases throughout the Midwest. He has tried more than 50 jury trials in the Kansas City area alone. He also frequently serves as a construction arbitrator and mediator, and a consultant and expert witness on legal ethics.
Read Nick’s full article here.
