Legal Definitions - Model Rules of Professional Conduct

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC) are a set of rules created by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 1983 to guide lawyers on ethical behavior. These rules replaced the 1969 Code of Professional Responsibility. The MRPC covers various topics, including conflicts of interest, attorney duties of competence, diligence, confidentiality and loyalty, conduct owed to the courts, attorney fees and solicitation, and more.

The MRPC is divided into eight sections:

• Client-Lawyer Relationship
• Counselor
• Advocate
• Transactions with Persons Other than Clients
• Law Firms and Associations
• Public Service
• Information About Legal Services
• Maintaining the Integrity of the Profession

The MRPC provides guidance on how lawyers should behave in different situations. However, the rules are not inherently binding. States can choose to adopt certain rules. For example, New York adopted a modified version of the Model Rules in 2009.

It is important to note that the MRPC is not the only source of ethical rules in the legal profession. Other sources of ethical guidance include the Restatement (Third) of the Law Governing Lawyers, the ABA Criminal Justice Standards, the Model Code of Judicial Conduct (1972), the American College of Trial Lawyers Code of Pretrial and Trial Conduct, and more.

For instance, if a lawyer violates the MRPC, it does not necessarily mean they have committed malpractice. The MRPC co-exists with federal and state statutes, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the inherent judicial authority to discipline and regulate proceedings by the courts, the general torts, contract, evidence, and constitutional law, among others.