If You Can't Say Something Nice, Shut Up! The Ethical Imperative for Civility
As children, we were all taught, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all." Well, that advice holds especially true for lawyers. Whether in open court, a deposition, or contract negotiation, lawyers who choose to "go low," run a high risk of bar discipline. Increasingly, disciplinary authorities are treating the once aspirational goal of civility as a mandate. Therefore, it's important for all lawyers to be reminded of their obligation to "play nice."
In the style that has made him a favorite presenter from coast to coast, legal humorist Sean Carter will demonstrate the importance of civility. By drawing from examples from his annual Ethy Awards for the best of the worst ethics violations, Mr. Carter will show what happens to lawyers who forget the dos, and perhaps more importantly, the DONTs of civility:
- Disparaging remarks
- Obscenities
- Negative generalizations
- Threats
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.
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