This time of year, most people are looking to make (or re-make) their resolutions for the upcoming year. To help you out, Ethics Counsel Travis Pickens presents his top ten ethics tips you can use to plan your year.

1. Know that the Office of Ethics Counsel is for you.

The Office of Ethics Counsel was created to provide all Oklahoma lawyers a resource for specific and confidential guidance as to ethics questions and to encourage the proactive consideration and handling of ethics issues. It is for you, no one else.

2. Discover the resources that are available to attorneys on ethics issues through this web site.

The “Ethics & Professionalism” tab is your door to all the applicable rules, and a world of ethics materials, opinions, tips and articles. It is the best place to start.

3. Submit requests for written ethics opinions to the Legal Ethics Advisory Panel.

The OBA Legal Ethics Advisory Panel will provide written opinions on ethics issues of general interest and prospective application. You can find the guidelines for submission here.

4. Re-read “the book” (the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct), and the comments.

Occasionally, you need to “read the book” again, as opposed to reading “about the book”. It will only take an hour or two, and the comments are well done and helpful.

5. Conflicts can kill — control them.

Review, tighten and maintain your conflict controls. Most questions this office gets relate to whether a conflict exists or not. Be careful!

6. Help your associates and staff measure up.

Lawyers who supervise other lawyers or non-attorney assistants must put measures in place to ensure compliance with the ORPC. The measures should be clear and concrete.

7. Write and use a comprehensive fee agreement.

Nothing alone is a more important tool in creating healthy client relationships, avoiding bar complaints and malpractice claims. You work to make your clients’ contracts perfect — does it make sense to do something less for yourself, or nothing at all?

8. Plan time off. You will take it regardless.

You can either plan breaks and vacations, or go to work all the time and take them anyway, at your desk. You will enjoy other places more.

9. Learn from the mistakes of others.

One of the best places to learn what to do and what not to do is a reported case involving a disciplinary violation. It focuses the mind. Very few lawyers intentionally hurt a client, but many get sloppy. Remain vigilant.

10. Embrace technological advances.

Ignoring technological advances may soon take you out of the “eccentric” category and place you firmly in the “incompetent” category. Clients expect you to be up to speed electronically, and increasingly, so do courts. Any questions?

Travis can be reached at travisp(at)okbar.org or (405) 416-7055.