Practice Tools

ISBA Ethics Opinions on Confidentiality

  • Participation in mentoring programs : 12-16
  • Use of listservs or online discussion groups : 12-15
  • Withdrawal from representation and disclosure to court of client's increasingly impaired mental capacity : 12-10
  • Duty to disclose confidential information provided by a client that might reveal possible child sexual abuse by a non-client : 12-08
  • Lawyer's participation in networking group with nonlawyer professionals : 12-03
  • Law firm’s use of a third party technology vendor : 10-01
  • Use of Interpreters : 03-07
  • Confidentiality of impaired client’s medical report : 00-02
  • Lawyer inadvertently receives confidential information from opposing party : 98-04
  • Disclosing client identity : 97-01
  • Use of e-mail, Lawyer Websites : 96-10
  • Disclosure of confidential client information to collect fee or defend against wrongful conduct : 94-10
  • Lawyer knowledge of past tax violations : 93-16
  • Disclosure of client billing records to firm’s financial institution : 93-04
  • Duty to report age impaired incompetent lawyer : 92-12
  • Duty to disclose theft of estate assets by guardian : 91-24
  • Duties of public defenders to inform clients of unrelated investigations : 90-27
  • Disclosure to Court that client is no longer in contact with lawyer : 89-13
  • Lawyer advised, or in possession, of client incriminating physical evidence by third person. : 88-13
  • Lawyer representing interests adverse to former client and using confidential, but public, information : 88-07
  • Duty to report client’s spouse apparent IRS fraud : 87-15
  • Lawyer advising court of knowledge of privileged information affecting guilt/innocence of client : 84-02

ISBA Advisory Opinions on Professional Conduct are prepared as an educational service to members of the ISBA. While the opinions express the ISBA interpretation of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct and other relevant materials in response to a specific hypothesized fact situation, they do not have the weight of law and should not be relied upon as a substitute for individual legal advice. For more information, call the ISBA Legal Department at (217) 525-1760 or (800) 252-8908.