Two advisory ethics opinions from the Committee on Professional Conduct were adopted July 20 by the ISBA Board of Governors during its meeting in Chicago.

Prepared as an educational service to members, the opinions express interpretations of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct and other relevant materials in response to specific hypothesized fact situations.

They do not have the weight of law and should not be relied on as substitutes for legal advice. The digests of the two new advisory ethics opinions follow.

Opinion No. 07-01: Because state government is not one entity composed of all departments under the jurisdiction of the governor for purposes of resolving conflict of interest questions, a lawyer may represent one state government agency while representing a private party adverse to another state government agency.

Opinion No. 07-02: A lawyer may not sell a legal practice and continue to practice on a fee representation basis in the same geographic area. A lawyer may sell tangible assets of law practice and continue to practice subject to proper procedures being followed.