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Under Rule 7.3(f), a lawyer may not “give anything of value to any person or organization to solicit professional employment for the lawyer from a prospective client,” provided that he or she may “request referrals from a lawyer referral service operated, sponsored, or approved by a bar association” or “cooperat with any qualified legal assistance organization.” A for-profit business networking organization, however, is not an authorized “lawyer referral service” or a “qualified legal assistance organization” for purposes of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct, and a lawyer’s commitment to provide business referrals to other organization members in return for their agreement to refer potential clients to him or her represents the “giv … of value” to those other members in contravention of Rule 7.3(f). Summary: A lawyer may not participate in a private business networking organization that requires members to cross-refer potential clients to one another. Lawyer, about the latter's own reporting obligation under RuleĨ.3(a). Lawyer also needs to advise his client, who is a The reporting requirement would be excused unless client consents Information," as newly defined in Comment 3A to Rule 1.6. The discovered document may constitute client's "confidential The litigation, intentionally omitted mentioning a conviction forįraud in his letter recommending an applicant for admission to theīar. Involving breakup of a law firm) of a document indicating that anĪttorney, a former partner of the client and an opposing party in Office is triggered by a lawyer's discovery (in litigation Rule 8.3's requirement to report misconduct to Bar Counsel's That the conduct in question had more likely occurred than Reasonable lawyer under the circumstances would form a firm opinion When the lawyer possesses supporting evidence such that a Summary: Under Rule 8.3, Comment 3, a lawyer Student Loan Bankruptcy Assistance Project.Guide to the Massachusetts Judicial Selection Process.43rd Annual Labor & Employment Spring Conference.