The Compendium presents models for ethical and professional conduct and standards for enforcing that conduct that have been developed by the American Bar Association. These models have been used as the foundation for most state regulations and as interpretive guidance for the courts in their resolution of professional responsibility issues. Despite the local variations in the way they have been adopted (occasionally significant), they serve to familiarize the reader with the philosophy of lawyer regulation and can be used to initiate review of substantive issues unfamiliar to the lawyer, student or scholar. In addition, the Compendium contains a selection of federal Rules and Standards that are commonly needed in the general practice of law, and in practice before the SEC and IRS, and that impact upon a number of ethical rules of conduct, such as the rules regarding competence and meritorious claims and contentions. Information on the composition, jurisdiction and procedures of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility is included to explain how ABA ethics rules are formulated and interpreted.

Author Biography

Tracy L. Kepler, of Chicago, IL., is the Director of the American Bar Association's Center for Professional Responsibility (CPR), providing national leadership in developing and interpreting standards and scholarly resources in legal and judicial ethics, professional regulation, professionalism and client protection. In that role, she manages the efforts of 18 staff members and 13 entities including five ABA Standing Committees (Ethics, Professionalism, Professional Regulation, Client Protection, and Specialization), the ABA/BNA Lawyers' Manual on Professional Conduct, the Center's Coordinating Council and other Center working committees.