| Unit name | Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0093 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Griffiths-Baker |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The ethics of lawyers are often the subject of fierce debate. Is it possible to be a successful lawyer and a good person? For the legal profession, self-regulation and high ethical standards, once seen as essential and defining characteristics of lawyers, have come under increasing attack both from the state and the public. This course will critically analyse the ethical difficulties facing practising lawyers. In particular we will consider what is meant by 'legal ethics', the current structure and organisation of the legal profession (together with proposals for its reform), core professional values and duties of the modern lawyer and three areas of potential difficulty in legal ethics, namely; criminal defence work, access to justice and conflicts of interest.
