Pennsylvania Bar Association Ethics Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of legal ethics opinions issued by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, with full citations and source links on every page.
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Must a Pennsylvania lawyer run real estate settlement funds through an IOLTA account?
Generally yes. The opinion concludes real estate settlement funds are Rule 1.15 funds, so a lawyer who is an authorized signatory on the account holding the proceeds must designate it an IOLTA account…
Can a Pennsylvania lawyer deposit a flat fee straight into the operating account instead of a trust account?
Sometimes. The joint opinion concludes a flat fee that is also "earned upon receipt" need not go into a Rule 1.15 trust account if the agreement says it is non-refundable and earned upon receipt; any …
When a client switches lawyers in a contingent fee case, must successor counsel protect the prior lawyer's charging lien out of the recovery?
Yes. The opinion concludes that under Rule 1.15(f), successor counsel must keep enough of the recovery in trust to satisfy the predecessor's quantum meruit claim until the lien dispute is resolved by …
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Legal ethics opinions from the Pennsylvania Bar Association 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.