State Bar of California Ethics Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of legal ethics opinions issued by the State Bar of California, with full citations and source links on every page.
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In a personal injury case, can defense counsel talk to the plaintiff's treating physician without the plaintiff's lawyer's consent?
The committee concluded that, because the physician is not a party, defense counsel's communication with the plaintiff's treating physician about matters as to which the physician-patient privilege ha…
Can a law firm send client billing and accounting records to an outside data processing service without breaching the duty to preserve client confidences?
The committee concluded that it is not ethically improper for a law firm to use an outside data processing center for bookkeeping, billing, and accounting, provided the firm exercises due care in sele…
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Legal ethics opinions from the State Bar of California interpret the rules of professional conduct for working lawyers, in response to inquiries from members and committees. They are not binding like court discipline decisions, but courts and discipline boards treat formal opinions as substantial guidance on how the rules apply. Every opinion above has a plain-English question and short answer, plus a link to the original source on the bar's site.