Ethics 20/20 on Inbound Foreign Lawyers

The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 has released several revised draft proposals relating to inbound foreign lawyers. The first two revised drafts describe possible amendments to ABA Model Rule 5.5 and to the ABA Model Rule for Registration of In-House Counsel. The third relates to the ABA Model Rule on Pro Hac Vice Admission.  A Cover Memo from Co-Chairs Jamie Gorelick and Michael Traynor provides an overview of the new drafts and how they differ from the previously circulated versions.

The Commission's work will be completed in February 2013, and the topic of inbound foreign lawyers is one the few remaining issues the Commission is studying.  Other issues include choice of rule agreements, multijurisdictional practice and virtual law offices, and choice of law issues arising from inconsistencies among jurisdictions with regard to nonlawyer ownership of law firms.  (Information about the Commission's prior work can be found here.)
 
Comments on the newly released drafts should be submitted by October 12, 2012, to Senior Research Paralegal Natalia Vera at Natalia.Vera@americanbar.org.