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Study information

Lawyers Ethics in the Real World

Module titleLawyers Ethics in the Real World
Module codeLAW2154
Academic year2021/2
Credits15
Module staff

Professor Richard Moorhead (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

40

Module description

The purpose of this module is to introduce you to professional ethics for lawyers through case studies taken from the real world, with a particular focus on commercial practice.

Through a series of specially developed case studies you will engage with elements of sophisticated professional practice, the ethical dilemmas that can arise and the commercial, political and interpersonal drivers of those dilemmas.

As a result you will not only gain knowledge about professional ethics but also about commercial awareness and the social psychology of lawyer decision-making.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to provide you with knowledge and understanding of the professional codes of conduct, and practice in applying the codes to ethical dilemmas that have arisen in real world case studies taken from practice. Through the case studies it also explores real examples of the key stages of a lawyer’s work such as: taking on clients; preparing cases; giving advice and opinions; preparing documents such as contracts and NDAs; conducting independent investigations; and appearing before courts and tribunals.

A further aim of the module is to give you insight into how the behaviour of lawyers links to key incidents of public interest, such as: the financial crisis of 2008; the Hacking scandals; and the suppression of sexual harassment highlighted by the #MeToo movement.

Finally, through a consideration of the context of these scandals and the social scientific literature on ethical decision-making, you will explore the personal and institutional influences on professional behaviour. As such the module aims to lay the intellectual groundwork for a life in practice or elsewhere as an ethically informed professional.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Demonstrate a detailed and accurate understanding of the Standards and Regulation of solicitors and their practical application.
  • 2. Discuss how the main roles of lawyers in the courts, business, and other settings may relate to ethical problems.
  • 3. Discuss some of the social, economic, and psychological influences on lawyers decision-making.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 4. Apply legal knowledge accurately to complex problems.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. Effectively articulate one’s own ethical inclinations and the cultures of organisations.
  • 6. Develop and effectively communicate arguments and opinions with limited guidance.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is anticipated that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics. Some topics may be delivered by guest lecturers.

  • Personal and professional values and ethics
  • Core elements of the Solicitors’ Code
  • Behavioural and Institutional Understandings of Ethics
  • Commerciality in practice and in one’s mind
  • Lawyer and corporate governance
  • The Best Interest of the Client and Misleading the court
  • Dealing with others, Integrity and taking advantage
  • Philosophical theories of ethics
  • Principles vs Rules in Ethical Regulation
  • Giving Advice and Opinions
  • Papering deals in commercially aware ways
  • Submitting evidence and appearing before the court
  • Hierarchy and Sex in Legal Practice
  • Non Disclosure Agreements
  • Conducting Investigations

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
30120

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities2211 x 2 hour lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities84 x 2 hour seminars
Guided independent study65Reading, seminar, and lecture preparation
Guided independent study40Summative assessment preparation
Guided independent study15Formative assessment preparation

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
3 x writing exercises1,500 words in total (500 words each)1-6Individual written feedback on one exercise; individual peer feedback on all exercises; general oral feedback to the class on all exercises

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay1002,500 words1-6Individual written feedback
0
0
0
0
0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
EssayEssay (2,500 words)1-6August/September re-assessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Jonathan Herring, Legal Ethics (2nd edition, OUP Oxford 2017).

Richard Moorhead, ‘Independence Play – Chilcot on the Legal Process | Lawyer Watch’ https://lawyerwatch.wordpress.com/2016/07/07/independence-play-chilcot-on-the-legal-process/ 

Maryam Kouchaki and others, ‘Seeing Green: Mere Exposure to Money Triggers a Business Decision Frame and Unethical Outcomes’ (2013) 121 Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 53

Richard Moorhead and Victoria Hinchly, ‘Professional Minimalism? The Ethical Consciousness of Commercial Lawyers’ (2015) 42 Journal of Law and Society 387

Steven Vaughan and Emma Oakley, ‘“Gorilla Exceptions” and the Ethically Apathetic Corporate Lawyer’ (2016) 19 Legal Ethics 50

Christine Parker, ‘Critical Morality for Lawyers: Four Approaches to Lawyers’ Ethics, A’ (2004) 30 Monash University Law Review 49

Richard Moorhead, Steven Vaughan and Cristina Godhino, In-House Lawyers’ Ethics: Institutional Logics, Legal Risk and the Tournament of Influence: (Hart Bloomsbury 2018) accessed 29 October 2018

Donald C Langevoort, ‘Chasing the Greased Pig Down Wall Street: A Gatekeeper’s Guide to the Psychology, Culture, and Ethics of Financial Risk Taking’ (2010) 96 Cornell L. Rev. 1209

David Kershaw and Richard Moorhead, ‘Consequential Responsibility for Client Wrongs: Lehman Brothers and the Regulation of the Legal Profession’ (2013) 76 The Modern Law Review 26

Christine E Parker, Robert Eli Rosen and Vibeke Lehmann Nielsen, ‘The Two Faces of Lawyers: Professional Ethics and Business Compliance With Regulation’(2009)’ 22 Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics 201

Key words search

Lawyers Ethics | Legal Practice | Commercial Awareness | Decision-making

Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

5

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

25/01/2021

Last revision date

25/01/2021