A PROFILE IN PROFESSIONALISM

The conduct of a lawyer should be characterized at all times by honesty, candor and fairness. A lawyer’s first obligation is to represent the client in a professional manner.

John H. Boswell Senior Shareholder Boswell, Hallmark and Huebner, P.C.

A lawyer owes to a client undivided allegiance, the full application of a lawyer’s learning, skill and industry, and the employment of all appropriate legal means to protect and enforce the client’s legitimate rights, claims and objectives. A lawyer should advise the client that the client has no right to demand that the lawyer abuse the opposing party or counsel or indulge in other offensive conduct.

A lawyer should always treat adverse parties and witnesses with fairness and due consideration.
A lawyer owes opposing counsel courtesy, candor, cooperation in all respects not inconsistent with a client’s interest and scrupulous observance of all mutual agreements and understandings. Ill feelings between clients should not influence a lawyer’s conduct, attitude or demeanor toward opposing lawyers.

In litigation matters, a lawyer should agree to reasonable requests for extensions of time and for waiver of procedural formalities, provided a legitimate interest of the client will not be adversely affected.

In court a lawyer owes the judiciary respect, diligence, candor and punctuality. Every lawyer should treat opposing counsel, opposing parties, the court and members of the court’s staff with courtesy and civility.

The foregoing should be familiar to all lawyers because it is taken from the Houston Bar Associa-tion’s “Professionalism: A Lawyer’s Mandate,” adopted February 16, 1989.
We have a great profession. All of us should be proud that we are lawyers, and we should do everything we can to enhance the professional status of our special calling.