UM Law Students Present Ethics Training at Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office
On October 22, 2009, second-year law students Amanda Flannelly, John Wilson, and Brandon Spivack, interns with the Law School’s Ethics & Professional Responsibility Program, presented an ethics training session to attorneys at the Miami-Dade County Public Defender’s Office.
The training covered the state prosecutor’s special responsibility to disclose material information to the defense, the distinction between permissible conduct of attorneys as opposed to non-attorney assistants, and the impact of the new media on the legal profession.
Professor Jan Jacobowitz, director of the EAPR Program, supervised the training along with Public Defender Robert Coppe. The Public Defenders in attendance debated the circumstances under which the ethical rules might assist them in obtaining evidence even if the constitutional standard did not apply. There was also a lively discussion as to whether a Certified Legal Intern should convey a plea to a client and whether attorney blogs violate ethical rules.
Afterwards, Flannelly said “participating in the CLE Ethics training was a unique learning experience. Observing practicing attorneys exchange ideas about ethical issues is not something that a traditional classroom experience could capture.”
Wilson and Spivack agreed and described the session as “enriching” and “rewarding.”
Related Links
- UM Law Students Present Ethics Training at Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office
- Ethics & Professional Responsibility Program Students Conduct Interactive CLE Training at Catholic Charities in downtown Miami
posted 28-October-2009
