The Lawyer's Lawyer

Q. If I bring an action without legal or factual justification, I may get sanctioned. Does the same thing apply to Bar Counsel?

Q. Is it ethical for lawyers to use artificial intelligence to write briefs, draft legal instruments or provide other services?

Q. To err may be human, but is it a bigger mistake for lawyers to rely on artificial intelligence?

Q. After testifying last month that she earned no income other than that reflected on the paystubs and tax returns we put into evidence, my client just told me that she makes extra money "under the table." What are my duties to the client, to the Court and to the IRS?

Q. My client has just been indicted on 13 counts of fraud and every reporter in town has called me for comment. Should I call them back? 

Q. My injured client just tweeted photos of his hiking the Appalachian Trail. To prevent the defense from finding them, may we delete the tweet?

Q. After his client denied any text messages about this case, defense counsel sent me a thumb drive with hundreds of them, including some attorney-client communications. May I use these?

Q. I read that Maryland's Bar Counsel tried to deprive accused lawyers of an equal right to discovery in disciplinary cases. Whatever happened to fundamental fairness?

Q. It's a loser under current case law, but my client still wants me to seek relief that would require a major reversal of precedent. If she'll agree to a generous retainer and hourly fees, should I take it?

Q. Representing a large manufacturer, I sent a demand letter threatening to sue its competitor and promising a nasty discovery process that would be the "legal equivalent of a proctology exam." Did I go too far?

Q. An engaged couple wants to retain me in an accident case. The boyfriend drove through an intersection when a truck ran a red light and crashed into them. May I represent both?

Q. My client, Unicorny Products, wants an immediate restraining order against a counterfeiter that's currently flooding the market with cheap knock-offs. With all that's going on in the world, is it wrong for me to seek emergency relief?

Q. I know it's hearsay, but a week after the accident, police interviewed a bystander who corroborated my client's account and blamed the other driver. If I can't find the witness, may I call the officer to repeat this statement?

​​Q. In reviewing Plaintiff's medical records, I discovered that her counsel altered certain reports to conceal a preexisting injury. Should I report her to Bar Counsel if she doesn't drop the case?

​Q. Most injury lawyers have difficulty getting treating physicians on the phone. But I just say I'm a "doctor" and their receptionists put me right through. Is that the right prescription?​

​​Q. I took a complicated contingency case to trial and lost. Now my client wants me to appeal the verdict for free. Must I?

Q. Injured on a Delaware highway, my old client spent the night in a Dover hospital, returned to Maryland for more treatment, and called me for representation. I'm not licensed in Delaware. May I take her case?

​​Q. Unhappy with my client's engineering work, a huge contractor ignored my demand for payment of a $150,000 bill. It's a small sum to the contractor, but a lot of money for my client to lose. With more documents than cash on hand, my client wants to sue and fight "on principle." How should I engineer this?