The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-23
Special Committees Report
Is Submitted to North Da-
kOta State Association,
Meeting Today at Devils
Lake For Two.Day Session
Provisions Made For Ex-
pulsion of Offending Men,
berS
Especial to The Tribune)

Devils Lake, N. D., Aug. 23.-Du-
ties of lawyers toward the courts,
clients and the community are laid
down in proposed Code of Profess
sional Ethics of the North Dakota
State Bar Association. submitted to
the convention here by S. E. Ellis
worth. jamestown. chairman; F. H.
Register. Bismarck. and H. A. Bron-
son, chief justice of the supreme
court. Discussion and adoption of
the code is on the program Of the
state bar association meeting.
The preamble declares that in up
holding the law the lawyer occulv es
q place Of prominence and response
bility.. and Is founded uponsth high
est conception Of honesty, integrity
and social conduct.
Among the privisions Of the code
ares:
Lawyers should always show de-
ference to the courts and judicial Of
f.cers, not because of the individuals
but because of the office. .ae4
1t is the duty of the bar to exert
its strongest influence to prevent
political considerations from out
weighing judicial fitness in the se-
lection Of judicial officers.
Members of the bar elevated to the
bench should show their fellow men,
bers of the bar the same respect they
showed as practicing attorneys.
Marked attention and unusual hos
pitality on the part Of lawyer to q
judge or the offer of gifts or gratui-
ties Of any kind, uncalled for by the
personal relations Of the parties. sub
ject both the judge and the lawyers
to reconstruction Of motives and
should be avoided.
A lawyer may undertake, with pro-
priety, the defense of a person ac-
cused of crime, although he knows
or believes him to be guilty.
1t is the duty of lawyer at the
time of accepting a retainer to dis
close to the client employing him. all
the circumstances of his relations to
all parties to the action.
It is unprofes sional to represent
conflicting interests in the same suit
or transaction.
A clients proffer Of assistance of
additional counsel should not be- re-
garded as evidence Of want of con-
fidence, but the matter should be
left to the determ lation Of the
client.
In fixing fees, lawyers should avoid
charges which over estimate the value
of their advice and services and the
responsibility incurred by employ
ment in certain case, as well as
those that uAdervalue them.
Lawyers should not allow what
ever ill-feeling may exist between
clients to extend to them while en-.
gagged in a case.
A lawyer should always treat ad-
verse witnesses and suitors with fair
ness and consideration and he should
never minister to the malevolence
or prejudices of client in the con-
duet Of . case. ~
All attempts to carry favor with
jurors by fawning, flattering or
pretended solicitude for their per-
sonai comfort are unprofessional.
Publication or circulation Of ordin-
ary simple business cards 10 not i'm
proper. Solicitation Of business by
circulars is unprofessional.
It is unprofessional for q lawyer
to volunteer advice to bring q law
suit. except in rate cases where ties
Of blood relationship or trust make
II his duty to do So. Stirring up
strife and litigation that would not
otherwise arise. is unprofe onal,
and il prohibited by all ethical rules.
Lawyers should expose without
fear or favor before the proper tri-
bunals corrupt or dishonest conduct
in the profession.
a lawyer may decline to conduct.
or to make defense in civil cause
when convinced that the purpose Of
his client is merely to harass or in
jure the opposite party or to work
oppression and wrong,
Any member Of the bar association
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