Wednesday, August 09, 2006

New Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct

The Ohio Supreme Court on Aug. 1st. adopted new rules of professional conduct for lawyers, based on the American Bar Association’s model rules. They will be effective Feb. 1, 2007.

Among the changes are rules for enhanced client communication, requiring attorneys to inform clients, preferably in writing, of essential elements of their representation, including its nature, scope, and any limitations which may be present; more detailed record-keeping, including new requirements that specify the nature & content of financial records that have to be kept, a 7-year retention period on these records, and monthly reconciliations of the attorney’s records and bank account records.

There are also new rules regarding client confidentiality, new rules imposing specific obligations on lawyers with respects to prospective, former, and organizational clients, and those with diminished capacity.

(Supreme Court’s announcement)
(Full text version of new Rules of Professional Conduct)

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