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ABAMODELRULESOFPROFESSIONALCONDUCT(2004)AmericanBarAssociationModelRulesofProfessionalConduct(2002edition)*PREAMBLE,SCOPEANDTERMINOLOGYPREAMBLE:ALAWYER'SRESPONSIBILITIES[1]Alawyer,asamemberofthelegalprofession,isarepresentativeofclients,anofficerofthelegalsystemandapubliccitizenhavingspecialresponsibilityforthequalityofjustice.[2]Asarepresentativeofclients,alawyerperformsvariousfunctions.Asadvisor,alawyerprovidesaclientwithaninformedunderstandingoftheclient'slegalrightsandobligationsandexplainstheirpracticalimplications.Asadvocate,alawyerzealouslyassertstheclient'spositionundertherulesoftheadversarysystem.Asnegotiator,alawyerseeksaresultadvantageoustotheclientbutconsistentwithrequirementsofhonestdealingswithothers.Asanevaluator,alawyeractsbyexaminingaclient'slegalaffairsandreportingaboutthemtotheclientortoothers.[3]Inadditiontotheserepresentationalfunctions,alawyermayserveasathird-partyneutral,anonrepresentationalrolehelpingthepartiestoresolveadisputeorothermatter.SomeoftheseRulesapplydirectlytolawyerswhoareorhaveservedasthird-partyneutrals.See,e.g.,Rules1.12and2.4.Inaddition,thereareRulesthatapplytolawyerswhoarenotactiveinthepracticeoflawortopracticinglawyersevenwhentheyareactinginanonprofessionalcapacity.Forexample,alawyerwhocommitsfraudintheconductofabusinessissubjecttodisciplineforengaginginconductinvolvingdishonesty,fraud,deceitormisrepresentation.SeeRule8.4.[4]Inallprofessionalfunctionsalawyershouldbecompetent,promptanddiligent.Alawyershouldmaintaincommunicationwithaclientconcerningtherepresentation.AlawyershouldkeepinconfidenceinformationrelatingtorepresentationofaclientexceptsofarasdisclosureisrequiredorpermittedbytheRulesofProfessionalConductorotherlaw.[5]Alawyer'sconductshouldconformtotherequirementsofthelaw,bothinprofessionalservicetoclientsandinthelawyer'sbusinessandpersonalaffairs.Alawyershouldusethelaw'sproceduresonlyforlegitimatepurposesandnottoharassorintimidateothers.Alawyershoulddemonstraterespectforthelegalsystemandforthosewhoserveit,includingjudges,otherlawyersandpublicofficials.Whileitisalawyer'sduty,whennecessary,tochallengetherectitudeofofficialaction,itisalsoalawyer'sdutytoupholdlegalprocess.[6]Asapubliccitizen,alawyershouldseekimprovementofthelaw,accesstothelegalsystem,theadministrationofjusticeandthequalityofservicerenderedbythelegalprofession.Asamemberofalearnedprofession,alawyershouldcultivateknowledgeofthelawbeyonditsuseforclients,employthatknowledgeinreformofthelawandworktostrengthenlegaleducation.Inaddition,alawyershouldfurtherthepublic'sunderstandingofandconfidenceintheruleoflawandthejusticesystembecauselegalinstitutionsinaconstitutionaldemocracydependonpopularparticipationandsupporttomaintaintheirauthority.Alawyershouldbemindfulofdeficienciesintheadministrationofjusticeandofthefactthatthepoor,andsometimespersonswhoarenotpoor,cannotaffordadequatelegalassistance.Therefore,alllawyersshoulddevoteprofessionaltimeandresourcesandusecivicinfluencetoensureequalaccesstooursystemofjusticeforallthosewhobecauseofeconomicorsocialbarrierscannotaffordorsecureadequatelegalcounsel.Alawyershouldaidthelegalprofessioninpursuingtheseobjectivesandshouldhelpthebarregulateitselfinthepublicinterest.[7]Manyofalawyer'sprofessionalresponsibilitiesareprescribedintheRulesofProfessionalConduct,aswellassubstantiveandprocedurallaw.However,alawyerisalsoguidedbypersonalconscienceandtheapprobationofprofessionalpeers.Alawyershouldstrivetoattainthehighestlevelofskill,toimprovethelawandthelegalprofessionandtoexemplifythelegalprofession'sidealsofpublicservice.[8]Alawyer'sresponsibilitiesasarepresentativeofclients,anofficerofthelegalsystemandapubliccitizenareusuallyharmonious.Thus,whenanopposingpartyiswellrepresented,alawyercanbeazealousadvocateonbehalfofaclientandatthesametimeassumethatjusticeisbeingdone.Soalso,alawyercanbesurethatpreservingclientconfidencesordinarilyservesthepublicinterestbecausepeoplearemorelikelytoseeklegaladvice,andtherebyheedtheirlegalobligations,whentheyknowtheircommunicationswillbeprivate.[9]Inthenatureoflawpractice,however,conflictingresponsibilitiesareencountered.Virtuallyalldifficultethicalproblemsarisefromconflictbetweenalawyer'sresponsibilitiestoclients,tothelegalsystemandtothelawyer'sowninterestinremaininganethicalpersonwhileearningasatisfactoryliving.TheRulesofProfessionalConductoftenprescribetermsforresolvingsuchconflicts.WithintheframeworkoftheseRules,however,manydifficultissuesofprofessionaldiscretioncanarise.SuchissuesmustberesolvedthroughtheexerciseofsensitiveprofessionalandmoraljudgmentguidedbythebasicprinciplesunderlyingtheRules.Theseprinciplesincludethelawyer'sobligationzealouslytoprotectandpursueaclient'slegitimateinterests,withintheboundsofthelaw,whilemaintainingaprofessional,courteousandcivilattitudetowardallpersonsinvolvedinthelegalsystem.[10]Thelegalprofessionislargelyself-governing.Althoughotherprofessionsalsohavebeengrantedpowersofself-government,thelegalprofessionisuniqueinthisrespectbecauseofthecloserelationshipbetweentheprofessionandtheprocessesofgovernmentandlawenfo