Bentham’s Jim Batson Leading National CLE Program on October 30, 2014: “Accessing Justice: Ethics and Lawsuit Financing in a New Era”

Jim Batson at his desk

In this program, Jim will cover a variety of topics, including:

  • The history of alternative litigation finance;
  • The basics of how litigation financing works;
  • Ways litigation financing can be ethically integrated into litigation strategy (including on appeal)
  • How litigation finance and attorney ethics intersect, including a discussion of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, including Model Rule1.7(a)(2)(material-limitations conflicts rule); Model Rule 1.8(a)(regulation of business transactions with clients); Model Rule 1.8(e)(financial assistance to clients); Model Rule 1.8(i)(acquiring a proprietary interest in a client’s cause of action); Model Rule 2.3 (hybrid confidentiality rules governing provision of evaluations to third party);
  • Issued ethics decisions and discussions on the subject, including New York City Bar Association Commission on Professional and Judicial Ethics, Formal Opinion 2011-2)(2011); Kentucky Bar Association Ethics Committee, Formal Opinion E-432(2011), and the New York State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics, Advisory Opinion 769 (2003); and
  • An overview of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Ethics 20/20 White Paper on Alternative Litigation Finance.

The program is taking place from 1-2 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, 2014.  There will be an opportunity to submit questions during the program. In addition, a detailed appendix will be provided containing the ethics opinions and additional content discussed during the program.

Ethics credit will be provided depending on jurisdiction.   Please visit http://www.pli.edu/Content/Seminar/Accessing_Justice_Ethics_and_Lawsuit_Financing/_/N-4kZ1z127op?Ns=sort_date%7c0&ID=235631for more information or to register.