ABA Offers General Guidance for Virtual Law Practices, But Leaves Questions Unanswered
“The American Bar Association (ABA) has issued Formal Opinion 498, which outlines several of the ethical implications of maintaining a virtual law practice but focuses primarily on data privacy and security issues,” write Calon N. Russell and Trisha M. Rich in Holland & Knight’s Insights.
“Although the opinion, released on March 10, 2021, identifies potential areas of concern for lawyers with virtual offices, it offers little specific guidance regarding what lawyers must do to address such issues. Lawyers with a virtual practice, therefore, will need to continue to make sure they understand the ethical issues and risks at play in connection with their particular areas of practice in order to choose and manage technologies that will aid such practices without creating undue risk.”