tcdla - Voice For The Defense Online

BEFORE YOU OPENTHE DOORS TOPRACTICEYou've got your fur~liture anmged, the supplies are stacked nmly in the drawe~s, tlie coniputersand dl tlic other equipmelit have been i~istded and are wordng, lib~ay books line the sl~elvesin tlie conference room, and the phone h~cs are con~lected. XT~at's missing? Read below tomake sore you have completed this to-do list unique io attornels before you open the do013 to your newI*\!, office.Obt& copies of the Attorney Complaint Inforn~zttion brocliure from the State Bar. Tliese broclo~resneed to be made available to your clients.Obtain a Copy of the Imyer's Creed. Pawg;lph 1 (4) of the Creed obligates tl~e attonley to educate theclient, among otliers, about the Creed.Set up separate e\yense and IOITA accounts wit11 a bank that 1s FDICTHECORNERPrepare your fee mntract tliat sets out tllc fee you arc cLugiug, the scope of your repmentation, youretliical and legal obligations, and the client's oblipalions. ~Uthough cont~xcts are 1101 maodatory forcriwiaal cases, theyak strongly reconunendcd. under Rule 1.02(d), a lawyer may limit the scope ofrepresenlatior the client's consent dter cousultation. Prospectivcagteellleklts limiting liabilityarenot dlowd under Rule 1.08(g).hure the State Bzr, locd bas, all court cle~ks, and postal autho~ities hwe yoor ddrew. Appropliatemotions should be tiled in active and domi;uit cases See, Rule 1.15 (d).Set up tw acco~~nts. Tas fraud is a c~i~iic of moral turp~htde, md tl~us is gcowds for automatic disbarnlent.In fhedinfter of UqdE. H~itt,Yhrejs, 37 Texas Snpren~e Court Journal 309 (1994).Set up MCLE reporting and establisl~ deadlines for eanung hours.Associatelneh~ork \nth espcrienced counsel to establish Rule 1.01 (a) safety net.Set up p11o11c and I I I log ~ log all calls, faxes and conesponde~~ce in client matters. This could late1be useful evidence if a dent should file a gicvance agd~ist yoo for neglecting a clieot's matter. See,Texas Disc~pli~ia~). Rule 1.01 (11).Sel up tickler system to establish Rule I.Ol(c) safety net. This itiforniatio~i could prove essential inproving unhitenhond neglect, which is not a grievable offense, merely nialp~xtice!Set up conficts list to protect against violations of Rdes 1.06 and 1.09.Obtain a copy of t11e court's local n11e.s and cl~eckta see whether your lad bar association hasany 1111es, creeds, guidehies or mandates.14 VOICE FOQ THE DEPENSE WWW.lCDlA.COM OClOBER 2001