Philadelphia Bar Association Principles of Professionalism
Preamble
The quality of the legal profession and the administration of justice will be enhanced if lawyers and judges treat each other, clients, and other participants in the judicial system with courtesy, respect and civility. Professional courtesy is entire compatible with vigorous advocacy and the administration of justice. It is our duty, as members of the legal profession and as educators of future generations of lawyers, to ensure that integrity and responsible professional conduct are fundamental to the practice of law and the administration of justice.
The followin proposed Principles of Professionalism are meant as guidelines to help judges and lawyers promote and achieve the twin goals of professionalism and civility. The Principles of Professionalism are designed to encourage judges and lawyers to meet their obligations of civility and professionalism to each other, to litigants and the justice system. They are not intended, and should never be used, to form the basis of any litigation or claim for sanctions or penalties.
1. Treat with civility, courtesy and respect judges, parties, court officers and staff, counsel and witnesses in oral and written communications.
- We will treat witnesses and parties with fair consideration. We will not, absent good cause, attribute bad motives or improper conduct to counsel or the court.
- We will maintain an appropriate demeanor in the courtroom.
- We will not condone or indulge in offensive or abusive conduct directed to the court and its staff, counsel, parties, or witnesses, and will abstain from disparaging personal remarks or acrimony, and advise our clients to do the same.
- We will not impugn the integrity or professionalism of any lawyer on the basis of the clients whom or the causes which a lawyer represents.
2. Avoid Bias and Prejudice.
- We will refrain from acting upon or manifesting bias or prejudice upon race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status in our dealings with any participant in the legal process.
3. Be courteous in communications.
- When reducing oral agreements to writing, we will accurately memorialize our oral agreements.
- Lawyers will answer telephone calls and correspondence promptly even if the answer is a simple acknowledgement with a promise to respond substantively later.
4. Be as mindful of the schedules of others as we are of our own.
- We will be punctual in honoring scheduled hearings, meetings and conferences, and if delayed, will notify the persons involved.
- We will agree to reasonable requests for extensions of time when they do not adversely affect the court's schedule or the parties' interests.
- We will be respectful of personal emergencies in scheduling.
- Lawyers will seek agreement in advance for the scheduling of meetings, depositions, and other appearances, and will not purposely wait until Friday afternoon to make hand deliveries and send telefaxes.
- Lawyers will not purposefully delay filings and deliveries to gain an unfair advantage.
5. If an adversary is entitled to information, provide it without unnecessary formalities or delay.
6. Honor promises and agreements whether written or oral.
7. Attempt to reconcile differences and resolve disputes through negotiation, expeditiously and without needless expense.
- We will take the initiative to settle a case or resolve a dispute when appropriate, recognizing that pursuit of settlement is a requirement of effective advocacy.
- Judges will be considerate of the time constraints and pressures imposed on lawyers by the exigencies of litigation practice when endeavoring to resolve disputes.
Committee