Board adopts civility code
The State Bar Board of Governors adopted a set of voluntary civility guidelines
last month that are designed to restrain unprofessional behavior by attorneys.
The guidelines, based on the Santa Clara County Bar Association's Code
of Professionalism, address eight areas: civility, professional integrity,
personal dignity, candor, diligence, respect, courtesy and cooperation.
"The dignity, decorum and courtesy that have traditionally characterized
the courts and legal profession of civilized nations are not empty formalities," the
guidelines state. "They are essential to an atmosphere that promotes
justice and to an attorney's responsibility for the fair and impartial
administration of justice."
The guidelines are the result of a campaign pledge of bar President Sheldon
Sloan to eliminate what he has characterized as a win-at-all-costs behavior
of some lawyers.
Individual attorneys are encouraged to sign on to the guidelines voluntarily,
but they are not professional rules that can be used as the basis for attorney
discipline.
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