OBLIC news, events and updates.

Recent Disciplinary Case Statistics reveal that the top cause of grievances is neglect. Almost half of the grievances received by Office of Disciplinary Counsel involve neglect and/or lack of communication. Other areas of concern involve excessive fees and IOLTA violations. It is also notable that “of those cases that find their way to formal disciplinary […]

We often get questions to the OBLIC Hotline about withdrawing from representation.  Sometimes withdrawal is necessary because of a conflict of interest.  More often, the need to withdraw is the frustrating outcome of undertaking representation of a difficult client.  The Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct govern this process of withdrawing at Prof. Cond. R. 1.16 […]

We are pleased to announce that OBLIC will partner with the Ohio State Bar Association to provide one-hour of CLE content at the fall and spring OSBA district meetings. Attendees of the district meeting luncheons will receive 30 minutes of CLE content presented during the luncheon by OSBA staff. An additional hour of CLE content […]

Since 2014 OBLIC has provided all policyholders access free of charge to the Cyber Toolbox, an online repository of cybersecurity resources. Among the resources available are articles warning of new cybersecurity threats, sample cybersecurity policies, and video training courses that can be shared with lawyers and staff. A new article on the Cyber Toolbox titled, […]

OBLIC has recently seen an uptick in letters of inquiry directed to insureds from the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel. Letters of inquiry are part of the investigative review when a grievance is filed against an attorney.   If you receive a letter of inquiry, or a formal complaint is filed against you, it is important to […]

Addressing Fee Disputes Fee disputes can arise in numerous situations. Clients being billed on an hourly basis may disagree with the amount they are charged, disputing the reasonableness, quality or necessity of the fee and/or expenses charged.  Flat fee clients may discharge the attorney and dispute the amount of the fee the attorney proposes to […]

Clients who do not pay their bills are the bane of the private practice lawyer. While there is no failproof solution to eliminate the problem, there are steps that lawyers can take to reduce the likelihood that a client will become delinquent on a legal bill. Here are some best practices to bill clients ethically […]

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct recently issued three new advisory opinions.  Two of the opinions discussed different conflicts situations.  The other opinion considered a lawyer’s notarization of an affidavit of the client. Opinion 2022-04- Imputation of County Prosecuting Attorney’s Former Client and Firm Conflicts to an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney In this Opinion, the Board […]

Attorneys are often asked to serve on corporate or non-profit boards. This can be a fulfilling way to give back to the community, but often there is an expectation that the attorney will provide pro bono legal advice. The dual role of board member and legal advisor creates risks unique to lawyers. Consider the following […]

Phishing Evolution Continues The FBI reported that, in 2016, approximately 20,000 Americans were victims of phishing crimes.  That number has grown every year since, with nearly 324,000 victims of phishing attacks reported in 2021. It is more prevalent than any other cyber-crime and it is one of the top initial infection vectors for ransomware incidents. […]