In the case of government lawyers, it is a responsibility to the public and to the government. To lead, a lawyer must communicate and educate others about the law. Government lawyers must themselves be knowledgeable about ethics laws covering the profession and public sector employees, and they must share this information with colleagues, associates and others in the workplace. A good working knowledge requires constant learning. Government lawyers might offer proactive seminars on ethics for public sector employees.
Leaders are creative.
Government lawyers should be innovative in their educational approach. Newspaper articles about ethics situations in other jurisdictions could be clipped and circulated FYI throughout the office, a subtle way of keeping ethics considerations in the forefront of employee s minds. An annual review of ethics issues and questions that have arisen in an office could be scheduled, and agency rules and regulations could be examined for possible reform. At the turn of the century there is perhaps no greater responsibility and challenge confronting public sector lawyers in New York than that of upholding the public trust and integrity in government, through personal conduct, through counseling others in the public sector on the appropriate course of conduct, and by leading the way for education and appropriate reform. A keen sense of awareness of the unique and diverse ethics issues facing the public sector, combined with a proactive leadership strategy to foster a good reputation for government officials and for government is demanded of every government lawyer.