LAW 770LEC - Legal Ethics in Context

Ethics is a required course for UB Law. In this summer offering, students will explore the ethical standards and legal obligations of lawyers in the context of professional practice. Based on the ABA Model Rules, this course will also use MPRE-based quick quizzes every class (after the first day) to reinforce the lessons and prepare students for that exam. We will study the Professional Conduct Rules and the Restatement (Third) of the Law Governing Lawyers, as well as some New York rules, statutes, and case law which govern lawyer behavior and the lawyer’s duties, using a casebook supplemented by various materials on practice skills. This course is designed to help students explore certain practical lawyering skills needed to represent clients both competently and ethically in every legal setting from litigation to transactional planning. We will meet twice a week on campus for three hours per class. In class, after the quick quizzes, we will work through assigned materials (readings, videos, podcasts) creatively and energetically, implement in-class simulations, and have a few guest lecturers. Each student will do a research project and short presentation in an area of their choice. There will not be an exam: grading will rely on class participation as well as regular short assessments and other required activities, along with the final research and presentation project.

Credits: 3