DESCRIPTION
Keep Your Hands Out of the Client's Cookie Jar: Avoiding Trust Accounting Violations
One of the fundamental principles of legal ethics can be summed up as: "Keep your hands off the money." And while this is a gross oversimplification of the legal ethics rules, it is true that this breach of fiduciary trust is among the gravest transgressions that a lawyer can make. Moreover, as it are often amongst the most heavily-punished violations, it often start a cascading effect of rule-breaking as lawyers desperately attempt to avoid detection. As a result, it never hurts to review this all-important ethical limitation on lawyer conduct.
In this laugh-out-loud funny webinar, legal humorist Sean Carter will go through the ins and outs of avoiding trust account violations, specifically as it applies to:
- Stealing (and "borrowing") client funds
- Retaining funds that rightfully belong to others
- Using undue influence to inherit client wealth
- Diverting fees from one's law partners
- Premature withdrawal of earned fees
SPEAKER:
Sean Carter is a Harvard Law grad, who spent a decade practicing securities law before leaving the practice of law to pursue a career as the country's foremost Humorist at Law.
Since then, Mr. Carter has crisscrossed the country delivering comedic professional educational seminars for more than 350 legal organizations in three dozen states. His presentation topics run the gamut from legal ethics to stress management to diversity. Yet, all of his presentations have one thing in common -- humor and plenty of it.
In fact, in 2003, Mr. Carter was dubbed "America's Funniest Lawyer" by The Radio and Television Interview Report.
Finally, Sean lives in Mesa, Arizona with his wife and four sons.
Disclaimer: All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials.