Opinion ID: 1744156
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Several points bear emphasis.

Text: First, nothing said here should deter attorneys from doing what Taylor did back in May of 1982. Because the time was short, he acted properly in taking the necessary steps to perfect Allison's appeal to this Court. Nothing said here should give any attorney grounds for believing that, if he takes these procedural steps on behalf of his client, he will then be trapped into handling the entire appeal without fee. When good cause exists for allowing an attorney to withdraw from representation of a client before this Court, upon proper motion, such withdrawal will be allowed. [9] To be sure, in many circumstances the failure of the client to pay a reasonable fee may be a good and valid reason for withdrawal. [10] Second, when an individual accepts a license to practice law and becomes a member of the bar of this state and of this Court, he assumes many obligations. At least two of these have priority over his certainly legitimate prerogative to charge a legitimate fee for his services. [11] Along with his fellow members of the bar, each lawyer assumes a duty to assume that every person in substantial need of legal service receives that service without regard to ability to pay. [12] Beyond that, each lawyer, in conjunction with his fellow members of the bar, assumes an obligation as an officer of the Court to assure that, before this Court makes the life shattering decisions tendered to it, it has the benefit of competent advocacy on behalf of both sides. What we say here is a simple reiteration of the values and traditions of the legal profession. These premises are articulated in the ethical considerations underlying the canons in the Code of Professional Responsibility by which all lawyers are bound. There is no doubt that parts of that code relegate to third and fourth priority a consideration of the economics of the practice of law. This is merely a part of the quid pro quo the lawyer must be prepared to give when he accepts his license to practice law. Yes, the world is much with today's lawyer. But so are the ideals and traditions of professional responsibility within the Bar, and so are the Ethical Considerations underlying our Code of Professional Responsibility, with all of which we find the lawyer's obligation under Rule 40 of the rules of this Court to be wholly consistent. CULLEN C. TAYLOR IS FOUND GUILTY OF CONTEMPT OF THIS COURT AND IS FINED THE SUM OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS TO BE PAID IN TEN DAYS SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS STATED HEREINABOVE. PATTERSON, C.J., WALKER and BROOM, P.JJ., and ROY NOBLE LEE, BOWLING, HAWKINS, DAN M. LEE and PRATHER, JJ., concur.