EC 1-1 of Canon 1 of the Code of Professional Responsibility admonishes that each lawyer has an ethical obligation to do his or her part to assure and assist in making quality representation, advice, and counsel fully available to all who need it. Opportunity to play a leadership role in one's community, state, and nation regularly devolve upon the lawyer . . . Leadership roles in charity, civic, religious, and other non- profit organizations are very much in need of the ability and services most lawyers have to offer. The Committee further notes that Ethics Opinion E-60 of the Kentucky Bar Association, rendered in July 1972, states that when a lawyer's firm represents the Board of Trustees of a College, there is no prohibition per se against the lawyer's accepting an appointment as a Trustee of the College, through individual situations could conceivably arise creating a conflict of interest or impropriety. There is no parallel between attorneys and CPA's in these situations in that the respective fields involve different duties and obligations with regard to clients.
Lawyers have a responsibility demanding undivided loyalty and fidelity to their clients.
CPA's have no such fiduciary obligation. Thus, since the respective natures of the service rendered can and must be distinguished, this distinction is the basis for finding no conflict of interest per se for an attorney's serving on a college board of trustees. The Committee is of the opinion that this provision, coupled with the obligation of the legal profession to render public service and legal counsel where needed, suffices to indicate that a lawyer may serve as a director or board member of a non-profit organization and as the attorney for such organization without any conflict of interest per se.