The ethical infrastructure of legal practice in larger law firms: values, policy and behaviour

Article

Parker, Christine, Evans, Adrian, Haller, Linda, Le Mire, Suzanne and Mortensen, Reid. 2008. "The ethical infrastructure of legal practice in larger law firms: values, policy and behaviour." University of New South Wales Law Journal. 31 (1), pp. 158-188.
Article Title

The ethical infrastructure of legal practice in larger law firms: values, policy and behaviour

ERA Journal ID33965
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsParker, Christine (Author), Evans, Adrian (Author), Haller, Linda (Author), Le Mire, Suzanne (Author) and Mortensen, Reid (Author)
Journal TitleUniversity of New South Wales Law Journal
Journal Citation31 (1), pp. 158-188
Number of Pages31
Year2008
PublisherUniversity of New South Wales
Place of PublicationSydney, Australia
ISSN0313-0096
1447-7297
Web Address (URL)http://www.unswlawjournal.unsw.edu.au/
Abstract

The article examines the impact of the cultures and organisational structures of large law firms on individual lawyers' ethics. The paper suggests that large law firms in Australia should consciously design and implement 'ethical infrastructures' to both counteract pressures for misbehaviour and positively promote ethical behaviour and discussion. The paper goes on to explain what implementing ethical infrastructures in law firms could and should mean by reference to what Australian law firms are already doing and US innovations in this area. Finally, the paper warns that the 'ethical infrastructure' of a firm should not be seen merely as the formal ethics policies explicitly enunciated by management. Formal and legalistic ethical infrastructures that fail to support or encourage the development of individual lawyers' awareness oftheir own ethical values and ethical judgment in practice will be useless.

Keywordslawyers; law firms; large legal firms; ethics, ethical infrastructure
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020500105. Legal ethics
500102. Business ethics
350710. Organisational behaviour
Public Notes

File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author.

Byline AffiliationsUniversity of Melbourne
Monash University
University of Adelaide
School of Law
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