Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-07
Professional Ethics
public is not likely to concur in the


Judgment of the Committee on Pro-
fessional Ethics of the New York
County Lawyers association that 1T is OBJ
jectionable for an attorney to accept en-
ployment from newspaper to answer in
quiries concerning law and legal rights"
The committee contends that such employ
ment is improper advertising" and has a
tendency 'to diminish the personal respon-
sibility Of the attorney to the person so in
quiring."
1t may be, and probably is, Objectionable
to some lawyers for a newspaper to pub
lsh questions and answers pertaining to
law and legal rights-the questions pro-
pounded by its readers and the answers
prepared by reputable lawyer, but it seems
to us that it Is far-fetched for the COM
planning attorneys to argue such employ
ment by lawyer is unethical.
Such employment, it is urged, is elm
proper Advertising" How SO? Certainly it
isn't self-sought, ds much publicity received
by attorneys in the news columns OF news
paper is. The attorney answering the inqui-
ries accepts the employment Of newspaper,
for a satisfactory consideration, to conduct
a department of that paper designed to in
form and entertain it's readers. why
shouldn't lawyer sell his services to
newspaper?
The New York County Lawyers associa-
ton contends that such employment has a
tendency "to diminish the personal respon-
sibility OF the attorney to the person in
quiring." The suggestion is absurd. In the
first place, no person making an inquiry pos
sibly can entertain for minute the serious
belief that the answer is final and repre-
sents the conclusions Of an attorney familiar
with every shade and phase of the perplex-
ity; in the second place, the public under
stands very we'll that lawyers are under no
responsibility to their clients when they &C
cept emf loyment. The public is content to
ho1iavn and VERY DrOD6rlV so. that the law
yer renders his best service.
The gravamen of the lawyers complaint
it seems to us, is not so much that the cd
jectionable employment is unethlcal as 1t
is that such newspaper features nave ten
dency to reduce the income Of their profess
sion. It is not to be doubted that competent
lawyer engaged in answering inquiries
through the columns of a newspaper will,
during the course Of his employment, ex-
pound much legal information to the news
papers readers that otherwise would cost
them money.
But we Jare unable to see any more basis
for the complaint of the New York Law
yers' association than there would be for a
complaint from the physicians and surgeons
of the country agai st the "health hints and
similar features that are published daily IN
the new spapers. ,omep Of the most con-
spicuous physicians in the land are engaged
in conducting "health departments" Tor
newspapers, and there Is no doubling that
they have rendered invaluable service to the
people We have never heard any complaint
about these contributions. 1t is pertinent in
this connection, however, to observe that
these health essays unfailingly advise inquir-
ers to seek the TWICE of a reputable physl-
clan.
Viewing the complaint of the lawyers
broadly we believe the New York associa-
ton has "hollered before it has been hit.
In word, we incline to the view that legal
departments in newspapers actually make
legal business for reputable lawyers.