State Bar Association of North Dakota Ethics Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of legal ethics opinions issued by the State Bar Association of North Dakota, with full citations and source links on every page.
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Must a lawyer share information about a criminal client's case with the client's court-appointed guardian when the client objects?
The committee concluded that, because a court had given the guardian full authority over the client's legal matters, the lawyer does have an obligation to communicate with the guardian even over the c…
Can a firm that represents a city in civil matters also take a contract to defend indigent defendants the city is prosecuting?
No. The committee concluded that a firm which represents the city (through contracts with the city attorney) cannot also serve as contract indigent-defense counsel against the city's own prosecutions.…
Can an indigent-defense lawyer be required, even with a written waiver, to report a client's financial information to the funding commission when it could be disclosed in open court?
The committee concluded that disclosing a client's confidential financial information to the funding commission, knowing it would be filed in open court and could be used against the client, would vio…
Can separately located public defender offices run by one state commission be treated as separate law firms, so a conflict in one office is not imputed to the others?
On the facts presented (offices in different cities with separate staff, files, computer systems, and letterhead, no shared access to client confidences, and only administrative oversight by the commi…
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Legal ethics opinions from the State Bar Association of North Dakota 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.