Massachusetts Legal Ethics & Malpractice

Chapter 1: The Investigative Process
1-1 OVERVIEW
1-2 PERSPECTIVE OF THE PLAYERS
1-3 BOARD OF BAR OVERSEERS
1-3:1 Initial Board of Bar Overseers Complaint
1-3:2 Publicity, Public Access and Media Access
1-4 RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT
1-4:1 Right Against Self-Incrimination
1-4:2 Effect of the Answer
1-5 CLOSING OR DISMISSAL
1-6 DIVERSION PROGRAM
1-7 FORMAL CHARGES
1-7:1 Bar Counsel’s Recommendation
1-7:2 Transmission of File
1-7:3 Standard of Review
1-7:4 Action by Reviewing Board Member
1-7:5 Deferment
1-7:6 Expunction
1-7:7 Withdrawal of the Complaint
1-7:8 Standing
1-7:9 Public Records Law
Chapter 2: The Prosecution Process
2-1 POSSIBLE DISPOSITIONS
2-1:1 Private Discipline—Admonition
2-1:2 Public Reprimand
2-1:3 Formal Discipline, Including Suspension, Disbarment and Resignation
2-1:3.1 Practice Note
2-1:4 Agreed-To Resolutions
2-2 BEGINNING FORMAL PROCEEDINGS
2-2:1 Redaction of Personal Identifying Data
2-3 DISCOVERY
2-3:1 Interview Under Oath
2-3:2 Discovery Procedure
2-3:3 Subpoena Power
2-3:4 Depositions
2-3:5 Other Pretrial Discovery
2-4 PROSECUTING THE PETITION
2-4:1 Proceedings Before the Hearing Committee or Special Hearing Officer
2-4:2 Relevance and Admissibility of Expert Testimony
2-4:3 Collateral Estoppel
2-5 REVIEW AND APPEAL
2-6 PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT
2-6:1 Information
2-6:2 Appeal to Full Bench
2-7 TEMPORARY SUSPENSION
2-8 DISABILITY INACTIVE STATUS
2-9 RESIGNATIONS
2-10 RECIPROCAL DISCIPLINE
2-11 DISBARMENT BY CONSENT
2-12 CONVICTIONS
2-13 COMMISSIONERS
2-14 COSTS AND RESTITUTION
2-15 CLIENTS’ SECURITY BOARD
2-16 REINSTATEMENT
2-17 CLEARANCE LETTERS
Chapter 3: Legal Malpractice in Massachusetts
3-1 INTRODUCTION
3-2 ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
3-2:1 Who is the Client and How is the Relationship Created?
3-2:2 Express Agreement
3-2:2.1 Written Fee Agreements
3-2:2.2 The Scope of the Engagement
3-2:3 Implied Agreement
3-2:4 Foreseeable Detrimental Reliance
3-2:5 What Non-Clients Might Be Owed A Duty, Nonetheless
3-2:6 Intended Beneficiaries
3-2:6.1 Testamentary Intent
3-2:7 The Law of Spinner and its Limitations
3-2:8 The Effect of Communication on Client/Non-Client Status
3-2:9 Unintended Consequences
3-2:10 What Constitutes Privity
3-2:11 Powers of Attorney Do Not Create Privity
3-3 STANDARD OF CARE AND PROXIMATE CAUSE
3-3:1 Duty to the Client
3-3:2 The Standard of Care – In General
3-3:3 Proximate Cause
3-3:4 Duty to Disclose That Law is “Unsettled”
3-3:5 Extension of Liability via Respondeat Superior or Vicarious Liability
3-3:5.1 Responsibility to Supervise
3-5:5.2 Responsibilities of Subordinate Lawyers
3-3:6 Extension of Liability by Apparent Authority
3-3:7 Partnership By Estoppel
3-3:7.1 Space Sharing
3-3:8 Extension of Liability by Negligent Settlement Advice and Negligent Settlement
3-3:9 Evidence of Negligence – Ethical Violations
3-3:9.1 Failure to Inform a Client of One’s Own Malpractice
3-4 DAMAGES
3-4:1 How Damages are Viewed
3-4:2 Calculation of Damages
3-4:3 Additional Recovery
3-4:4 Contribution
3-5 EXPERT TESTIMONY
3-5:1 Attorney-Client Relationship
3-5:2 Standard of Care
3-5:3 Causation
3-5:4 Damages
3-5:5 Content of Testimony
3-5:6 Interplay of the Ethical Rules: Confidential Information
3-6 OTHER CLAIMS
3-6:1 Breach of Contract
3-6:1.1 Third-Party Beneficiaries
3-6:1.2 Joint Tortfeasors
3-6:2 Breach of Fiduciary Duty
3-6:2.1 Breach of Fiduciary Duty in the Corporate Context
3-6:2.2 Aiding and Abetting Breach of Fiduciary Duty
3-6:3 Negligent Misrepresentation
3-6:4 Fraud
3-6:5 Chapter 93A Claims
3-6:6 Joint/Civil Conspiracy
3-6:6.1 RICO claims
3-6:7 Interference with Contractual Relations
3-6:8 Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
3-7 DEFENSES TO CLAIMS
3-7:1 Lack of Attorney-Client Relationship
3-7:2 Termination of Attorney-Client Relationship
3-7:3 Limited Scope of Engagement
3-7:4 Statute of Limitations
3-7:5 Continuing Representation to Toll Statute of Limitations
3-7:6 Contributory Negligence/Comparative Negligence
3-7:7 Intervening/Supervening Acts
3-7:8 In Pari Delicto Acts
3-7:9 Uncollectibility
3-7:10 Mitigation
3-7:11 Judgmental Immunity
3-7:12 Judicial Estoppel
3-7:13 Release
3-7:14 Death of the Lawyer
3-7:15 Assignment of Claims
3-7:16 Vicarious Liability
3-8 THE INTERACTION AND INTERSECTION BETWEEN BAR DISCIPLINE AND LEGAL MALPRACTICE