The So-Incredible-It’s-True Story of Rich Clients, Best Friends, Not-So-Well-Kept Big Secrets, and Legal Breaches

Sometimes the universe just hands you real-world scenarios that would have seemed ludicrous exam hypotheticals: High-priced lawyer representing the world’s most incredible and wealthiest children’s-book author tells his wife’s best friend about the client’s pseudonymously written novel; about to be former BFF tweets about it; media follows up. Discuss in the context of legal ethics.

Discuss in the context of maintaining one’s high-priced-lawyer job. Discuss in the context of keeping one’s high-profile client and others like her. Discuss how a rule prohibiting workplace secrets from being shared with trusted spouses can possibly be enforced. Discuss how a rule prohibiting workplace secrets from being shared with trusted spouses’ best friends might even arise. 

Compare and contrast requirements to protect client confidentiality in different countries. Evaluate the impact on any divorce action of high-priced lawyer spending sufficient time with spouse’s best friend such that super-big, potentially career-ending secret might possibly be shared and shared again and again until it’s viral.

Thank you, J. K. Rowling. Thank you, The Cuckoo’s Calling. Thank you, Twitter. Thank you, Russells. And, most of all, thank you, BFF of Mrs. Chris Gossage.

—Lori Tripoli

 

Don’t Let Client Confidences Turn into Coloring Paper: Remember to Recycle Responsibly

As we rush headlong into the Christmas season, on the heels of that other holiday emblematic of overindulgence that arrived just shortly after America Recycles Day, recycling may well be on everyone’s mind as we ponder ways to get rid of excess stuff. Regifting the box of chocolate-covered pears a client just sent you? No problem by me—just be certain to remove the gift tag. Sending leftover food items from the office get-togethers to a homeless shelter? All the better. Those are sometimes easy, heart-pleasing fixes to the problem of overconsumption, whether personally or professionally.

Recycling paper can be a feel-good activity (and cutting down on usage can be a real money-saver), but law firms have to tread a bit more carefully when they are getting rid of excess work product. After all, you don’t want an overly enthusiastic paralegal to take a ream of used paper from the recycling bin to her kindergartener’s classroom; five-year-olds and their parents don’t need to color on one side and read all about a client’s litigation options on the other.

In this season of excess even when the economy’s still pretty tight, remember to recycle responsibly. Make sure that  confidential information isn’t getting into the wrong hands and that paper with sensitive material on it is handled and disposed of properly. Know and address confidentiality issues with your firm’s recycler, and make sure that everyone in a law firm knows what can be safely recycled and what shouldn’t be.  Teach, train, and follow up. Just remember to print fewer sheets of paper (and make them double-sided if you do!) while you’re strengthening your firm’s environmental initiatives.

—Lori Tripoli