Published Article

All the President’s Men: A Look at Attorneys’ Ethical Duties

April 28, 2025

The legal profession has long upheld a duty to maintain ethical integrity, ensuring that attorneys act within the boundaries of professional responsibility while zealously representing their clients. Yet, recent years have tested the limits of these ethical standards, particularly in the political and corporate arenas.

High-profile cases involving attorneys working in presidential administrations and as in-house counsel for entities and educational institutions, as well as the legal profession at large, have resulted in an unprecedented wave of disciplinary actions, disbarments, and even criminal convictions. These cases provide striking examples of what may happen when attorneys prioritize personal loyalty, political influence, or financial gain over their fundamental ethical obligations or, in some cases, failures to properly identify their client.

Sandy Shatz (Irvine) participated in a Showcase CLE program titled “All the President’s Men: A Look at Attorneys’ Ethical Duties in View of Recent Disbarments and Criminal Convictions” at the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s 2025 Spring Meeting. An article discussing the program was published by the ABA’s Business Law Today. Read the full article here.