Ethics in Practice - Conflicts, Confidentiality & Professional Judgment

Ethical issues rarely arise in neat or straightforward situations. In practice, lawyers often have to make difficult calls when client expectations, professional obligations, confidentiality and personal or commercial pressures collide. This practical session will explore some of the ethical challenges lawyers are likely to encounter in everyday practice and provide practical guidance on how to respond with confidence and sound professional judgment. 

This session will discuss:  

• Identifying and managing conflicts of interest. 
• Confidentiality and protection of client information. 
• Acting when professional duties come into conflict. 
• Dealing with difficult, unreasonable or inappropriate client instructions. 
• Ethical issues and obligations when ending a retainer. 
• Common ethical traps arising in day-to-day legal practice. 
• Practical approaches and decision-making frameworks for identifying, managing and resolving ethical dilemmas. 
• AI and ethical practice – confidentiality, client information and professional responsibility when using AI tools.