Author Archives › Deanna Brocker

Have you ever taken on a client and later thought, “Why did I ever agree to this representation?”  It’s very hard to turn away a…more

Many law firms recoup office expenses associated with a client’s legal matter by passing along the actual cost of the expense to the client.   If…more

OK.  I don’t enjoy balancing and reconciling my trust account, but it’s got to be done.  If you are hanging out a shingle and planning to…more

I used to think a conflict of interest under Rule 1.9 could only be waived by agreement with the former client and could be raised…more

Today, the NC Ethics Committee voted to publish a revision to Rule 7.3(c). The Rule currently requires that all direct mail solicitations contain the words,…more

Have you ever received a call from a potential client who either 1) has just inherited lots of money, or 2) reached an agreement with…more

Most lawyers know that the Rules of Professional Conduct require lawyers to report certain conduct of other lawyers. Rule 8.3 provides that a lawyer who…more

It is rare that a lawyer stays in one place for his or her entire career. Lawyers change law firms everyday. And yet, relatively few…more

Social Networking is the craze these days, but are all social networking sites right for lawyers? It depends on how you use them. For example,…more

At the latest quarterly meeting, on April 15, 2010, the Ethics Committee of the NC State Bar voted to publish a new ethics opinion addressing…more