Lawyer Ethics Code Drafting in the Twenty-First Century

In 1997, the American Bar Association ( ABA ) created the Commission on the Evaluation of the Rules of Professional Conduct otherwise known as the Ethics 2000 Commission ( Commission ). The Commission was charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct ( Model Rules ) to determine what changes were necessary to update the Model Rules and make them relevant to the practice of law in the twenty-first century? In August 2001, the Commission issued a 300-page report recommending numerous changes to the Rules. These recommendations have been considered by the ABA House of Delegates and were largely approved. As Chief Reporter to the Commission, I have had the privilege of participating in this recent effort to enact comprehensive revisions to the ABA\u27s model ethics code. It has been a fascinating and educational experience for me, and I welcome the opportunity to reflect on what I have learned about ethics code drafting for lawyers in the twenty-first century