Opinion ID: 4016914
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motion to disqualify counsel

Text: Finally, plaintiffs challenge the district court’s denial of its motion to disqualify Johnson, himself a defendant, from representing the other two private defendants. For a lawyer to represent parties in a lawsuit in which he is a defendant is surely a conflict of interest See IL RPC 1.7(a) (prohibiting a lawyer from representing a client if the representation involves “a concurrent conflict of interest,” including where “the representation of one client will be directly adverse to another client”); IL RPC 1.7 cmt. 10 (stating that “if the probity of a lawyer’s own conduct in a transaction is in serious question, it may be difficult or impossible for the lawyer to give a client detached advice”). At this point, however, the issue is 3 Monell v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. of N.Y.C., 436 U.S. 658 (1978). 10 No. 15-1939 moot. Johnson has apparently been disbarred as a result of his conduct and thus can no longer represent the private defendants. Moreover, the district court’s failure to disqualify Johnson was harmless because the issue had no bearing on the merits of plaintiffs’ claims.