Professional Responsibility
Required Course
Power of courts over the legal profession, admission to practice, lawyer discipline,
peer regulation, law firms, lawyer-client relationship, withdrawal, fees, division of
fees, confidentiality, conflict of interest, competence and diligence, legal
malpractice, limiting liability, raising claims and defenses, ethics in presenting
evidence, fraud, perjury, duty to court and adverse parties, role of lawyer as
advisor, intermediary, negotiator and mediator, preservation of client’s funds and
property, duty to use I.O.L.T.A. account, advertising and solicitation, contact with
unrepresented persons and public service. Judicial ethics will be referred to only
briefly in class. Students are expected to actively participate in the class
discussion. The Model Rules of Professional Conduct will be the primary source,
but reference will also be made to differences in the Massachusetts Rules, the
Code of Professional Responsibility and common law principles.
Multistate Professional
Responsibility Exam
MPRE
Successful completion of the Multistate Professional
Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is required in
states in addition to the bar exam. Testing dates for the
MPRE occur in August, November and March each
year. Applications for the MPRE are available
a
/
Massachusetts
Massachusetts requires the MPRE be passed prior to application to the
Massachusetts Bar. The minimum passing score for the MPRE for students
taking the Mass Bar Exam is raised to 85.
Other States
Each student should inquire in the jurisdiction in which he or she plans to take
the bar for specific MPRE requirements. Students may inquire directly at the
National Conference of Bar Examiners.
