A discussion of a lawyer’s duties and obligations to clients, themselves, and the court.
What is a lawyer’s primary duty—to the client, the court, the profession, or themselves? This thought-provoking course challenges conventional assumptions by exploring the hierarchy of professional obligations that define the legal profession.
We begin with a discussion of partisanship and the core duties lawyers owe to their clients, including loyalty, honesty, diligence, and confidentiality. The course then shifts to the broader responsibilities lawyers owe to the court, the legal profession, and society, examining how these obligations sometimes conflict with client advocacy. Through case examples and ethical analysis, we conclude with a critical argument that a lawyer’s primary duties may not lie where commonly expected—and why that matters for legal practice and integrity.
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Books on law do not need to be difficult, dull, and costly. At Irwin Law Inc., our aim is to produce books of exceptional quality at affordable prices. We are determined to produce books that are modern, lively, and interesting, as well as clearly organized and attractively designed, at prices substantially lower than our competitors. Indeed, our books are accessible to students and legal practitioners alike, while maintaining the highest standards of excellence. As Canada's youngest law publisher, Irwin Law brings an innovative approach and fresh ideas to legal publishing. The company was established in 1996 - very recently in an industry whose roots go back to 1855. At its inception, Irwin Law Inc. was affiliated with the Stoddart Publishing Group. In 1999, Irwin Law was purchased by Quicklaw, Canada's leading online legal research service. The purchase was a natural, as Irwin Law had been among the first publishers to make its books available on the online database. However, when Quicklaw was purchased by LexisNexis Group in July 2002, Irwin Law needed to find new owners. The company was purchased by a small group led by Irwin Law's founding publisher, Jeffrey Miller. From its beginning, Irwin Law has strived to publish books that do more than outline the current state of the law. They analyze the complex issues of the day in a succinct and readable style and in a manner that is probing and thoughtful. Our books are accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date. Indeed, all manuscript submissions are subject to peer review and our authors are among the leading law practitioners and professors in Canada and the world. Irwin Law brings to the marketplace books that whet the reader's curiosity, challenge established tradition, and create intellectual excitement.
Allan C. Hutchinson LL.B. (Hons.) (London), LL.M. (Manchester), LL.D. (Manchester), F.R.S.C., Barrister of Gray’s Inn, and of the Bar of Ontario. A member of Osgoode Hall Law School’s faculty since 1982, Professor Hutchinson was recently elected to the Royal Society of Canada and made a Distinguished Research Professor of York University. He is currently Associate Dean (Research, Graduate Studies, and External Relations). Professor Hutchinson is a legal theorist with an international reputation for his original and provocative writings. As well as publishing in most of the common-law world’s leading law journals, he has written or edited many books, including The Civil Litigation Process (Toronto: Emond-Montgomery, 2005). Much of his work has been devoted to examining the failure of law to live up to its democratic promise. His most recent publications are Evolution and the Common Law (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005) and The Companies We Keep: Corporate Governance for a Democratic Society (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2005).
