Ethics for the Legal Professional, 8th edition

With its lively narrative and state-specific approach, Ethics for the Legal Professional tackles important ethical issues every paralegal should know. Cases and assignments invite you to apply concepts to real situations — helping you to build important research and critical-thinking skills.

For ethics courses taught in Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies, and Legal Assistant programs.

Ethics for the Legal Professional, 8e by Deborah Orlik sets the standard for professional responsibility textbooks. Written for the paralegal, its upbeat tone encourages students to stay engaged in the reading.  Margin “Challenge Assignments” invite students to research and apply their own state laws to common ethical problems. Video cases are available online and offer a contemporary approach to class discussion. Additional cases and vignettes fill each chapter and help students apply concepts to real situations. This edition includes more on online self-testing and research assignments, while referencing the latest case law for each of the 50 states. With its lively narrative and state-specific approach, this book tackles important ethical issues and builds marketable research and critical-thinking skills.

Features

Encourages students to research, understand and apply their own state law to ethical issues—using a flexible format that pairs ethics principles and issues with research assignments.

Builds students critical thinking skills—by helping students recognize a potential ethical issue, put a name on it (conflicts issue, privilege issue), and research possible courses of action.

Offers 22 videos that can be used for homework and class discussions—found on MyLegalStudiesKit, these videos discuss ethical issues and include teaching notes.

Avoids legalese and jargon—by using plain English to describe ethical situations and legal concepts.

Uses real cases to encourage application—see chapter opening and closing vignettes and Cases for Consideration as well as In the News.

Helps students practice working effectively in groups—see end-of-chapter Collaborative Assignments.

Includes access to the interactive, one-of-a-kind MyLegalStudiesKit website—a robust, book-specific site loaded with e-learning content such as: chapter objectives, links to online learning resources, web assignments, full versions of in-text cases, video case studies, terminology flashcards, other book-specific resources and Pearson's MySearchLab: Research, Grammar and Writing Tools.   

This eighth edition offers up-to-date coverage of legal ethics and addresses changes in the law. New "Check Your Understanding" questions and streamlined margin notes keep students focused on their own learning.

Fully updated in this edition with changes such as:

• An expanded discussion of paralegal certifications—Chapter 1
• More on LegalZoom and other online legal service providers—Chapter 2
• Improved descriptions of attorney/client privilege with confidentiality and a new discussion of confidentiality during job changes—Chapter 3
• More on conflict of interest and waivers—Chapter 4
• A new section on unbundled legal services—Chapter 6
• New sections on ensuring competence in outsourced and offshored work—Chapter 7
• New cases on misconduct—Chapter 9

New! Check Your Understanding questions support chapter learning objectives and end-of-chapter questions by emphasizing what students need to know along the way.

New! Key Terms, Watch the Video, and Challenge Assignmentmargin notes guide students to important material without causing unnecessary distraction.