Rules
The Rules of Professional Conduct set out the minimum ethical standards for the practice of law and constitute a set of rules which all lawyers must follow. These Rules were originally promulgated by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on April 1, 1988. Prior to this time, mandatory standards for Pennsylvania attorneys were found in the Disciplinary Rules of the Pennsylvania Code of Professional Responsibility.
Ethics 2000 Amendments. Changes to the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct in response to the American Bar Association Ethics 2000 initiative, adopted by the Supreme Court on August 23, 2004, and taking effect January 1, 2005. This document contains underlines and strikeouts showing the changes effective January 1, 2005.
The Pennsylvania Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement establish the lawyer disciplinary system in Pennsylvania and set forth a broad set of procedural rules governing bar discipline. These Rules were originally adopted by the Supreme Court in November 1972.
The Rules of the Disciplinary Board supplement and implement the Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement and govern proceedings before the Disciplinary Board. These detailed Rules are promulgated by the Disciplinary Board.
The Pennsylvania Bar Admission Rules govern the admission of applicants and attorneys from other jurisdictions to the practice of law in Pennsylvania. These rules are promulgated by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and implemented by the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners.
The Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Rules define the responsibilities of Pennsylvania Lawyers to pursue courses of Continuing Legal Education. These rules are promulgated by the Supreme Court and administered by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board.
The Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts Board Rules govern the Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts program. They are promulgated by the Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts Board and approved by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
The Code of Civility consists of principles designed to encourage judges and lawyers to meet their obligations toward each other and the judicial system. These principles are voluntary and do not supercede or alter existing disciplinary codes or standards of conduct.
(Note: Amendments to the Code of Civility, adopted April 21,2005, have not yet been posted at the Pa. Code site. The amendments are published here.)
Proposed Rule Changes:
The following proposed changes to the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement, Rules of the Disciplinary Board, and other rules have been published and have recently been adopted, or are still pending:
- Rule 1.15 Property Handling Amendments: Revisions to Rule 1.15 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct and Rule 221 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement, intended to define and clarify the responsibilities for handling funds of lawyers handling estates or otherwise acting in fiduciary capacities. The proposal was published at 36 Pa.B. 2801 (June 10, 2006). Comments period extended through 8/10/2006. Pending.