7 ETHICS SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR THE GOVERNMENT LAWYER

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    7 ETHICS SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR THE GOVERNMENT LAWYER - Presentation Transcript

    1. 7 ETHICAL SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR THE GOVERNMENT LAWYER
        • SUING AND DEFENDING GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES
        • JULY 2007
    2. CALL/ EMAIL AND GET THE SLIDES
      • CHRIS GRIESEL
      • 512-228-4831
      • [email_address]
      • READ THE PAPER, GET SORTS OF EXTRAS AND VIEW THE SLIDESHOW AGAIN
      • http://texasgovernmentlawyer.wordpress.com/
    3. A WORD ABOUT DUH!
        • Duh is a slang exclamation that is used to express disdain for someone missing the obviousness of something.
      • Really!
      • No, Duh!
      • No S****, Sherlock!
      • MOTFO
    4.  
    5.  
    6. DUH! IS ALL AROUND
    7.  
    8.  
    9.  
    10.  
    11.  
    12.  
    13. BUT KNOWING DUH! IS NOT ENOUGH!
    14.  
    15.  
    16.  
    17.  
    18.  
    19.  
    20.  
    21.  
    22.  
    23.  
    24.  
    25.  
    26. THE DUH! OF ETHICS
    27. OF COURSE, I'M ETHICAL
        • I HAVE A BELIEF SYSTEM
        • I TOOK PR IN LAW SCHOOL
        • I TOOK AND PASSED THE MPRE
        • I READ THE RULES
        • I TOOK THE “BASICS” COURSE
        • NO ONE HAS EVER SUED ME
    28.  
    29.  
    30. EVERY DAY IN THE EL PASO TIMES
    31. CLIPS FROM LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY
        • ETHICS 1999-2006
    32. FORMER STATE REP.SERNA PLEADS GUILTY TO KICKBACKS
        • 10 years
    33. LEGISLATOR ASKS LOBBIES TO PAY FOR ETHICS CLASS
    34. POWER GRID MANAGER IS FACING AUDIT OVER INQUIRY
        • Oversight Agency Angry
    35. TSU HEAD RETURNS $138,000 TO SCHOOL
        • Resignation, $500K Suspect Spending,Indictment
    36. ERCOT CHIEF STEPS DOWN; TWO MORE SENTENCED FOR ERCOT SCHEMES
        • 7,8, and 12 Years
    37. STATE AGENCY OFFICIAL CONVICTED OF BRIBERY
        • Conviction
    38. LOTTERY DIRECTOR NOW ADMITS SHE LIED
        • #1
    39. DIRECTOR ADMITS INFLATING JACKPOTS
        • #2
    40. FORMER EMPLOYEE INDICTED IN SCAM
        • #3
    41. 7 ETHICAL SURVIVAL SECRETS
      • YOU
      • LINE IN THE SAND
      • LET THE CLIENT KNOW WHO THEY ARE (AND AREN'T)
      • DO YOUR JOB
      • ASK WDWDW
      • DON'T DRINK THE KOOLAID
      • YOUR ORGANIZATION
      • UNDERSTAND THE ETHICAL ENVIROMENT
      • UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLE
    42. RULE 1: DEFINE THE LINE YOU WON'T CROSS BEFORE YOU HAVE TO CROSS IT
      • LIKE TRAVIS AT THE ALAMO, YOU HAVE TO DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND, EXCEPT THIS IS THE LINE OF ACTIONS YOU WILL NOT TAKE (AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT BEFORE YOU ARE ASKED TO TAKE THEM)
    43. DECIDE WHAT LINES YOU WON'T CROSS
        • “ I’LL QUIT OR YOU’LL HAVE TO FIRE ME BEFORE I’LL TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS”.
    44. WHY BEFORE?
      • If you know what you won’t do, you will probably spend some time in your practice avoiding the very things that you won’t do.
      • It easier to not start down a slippery slope than to try and arrest yourself on the way down.
    45. REASONS WHY NOT TO DO THIS
      • Hey Pollyanna, the world’s not black and white.
      • I can’t deal in hypos.
      • I’ll just have to take it as it comes.
      • Don’t worry, I’ll always act ethically .
    46. MY RESPONSE
        • BULL****
    47. THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU WON'T DO (AND YOU KNOW IT)
      • WOULD YOU HELP YOUR CLIENT PLACE SOMEONE IN A WOODCHIPPER?
    48. IF NO TO THE WOODCHIPPER, WHAT ELSE?
      • Don’t lie
      • Don’t cheat
      • Don’t steal
    49. WHERE'S YOUR LINE?
      • 1. I’m willing to go to jail
      • 2. I’m willing for my client to go to jail
      • 3. I’m willing to be indicted
      • 4. I’m willing for my client to be indicted
      • 5. I’m willing to be disbarred
      • 6. I’m willing for my client to be sanctioned
      • 7. I’m willing to have an ethics complaint filed
      • 8. I’m willing for lawyers to alter their normal actions when they deal with me
      • 9. I’m willing to have people publicly speak badly about me or my client (economic effect on practice)
      • 10. I’m willing to have people gossip about me or my client (no economic effect on practice)
      • 11. I’m willing to have some people, especially opposing counsel’s clients, not to appreciate my clearly ethical actions.
    50. NEED HELP IN DECIDING WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE PLAY “WHAT IF?”
      • Your boss accepts a bribe in front of you.
      • You thought you saw your boss accept a bribe in front of you.
      • Your client has not turned over all the responsive discovery documents but says that they have.
      • The government body you work for routinely circumvents the Open Meeting Act and invites you to participate in an illegal meeting.
    51. RULE 2
      • UNDERSTAND THE ETHICAL ENVIROMENT YOUR CLIENT OPERATES UNDER
    52. FLOOR: COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICS LAW CEILING: ETHICS GOOD ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE ALL THE TIME ZONE OF UNCERTAINTY NO ONE CARES TERMINATION
    53. THE SOURCES OF ETHICAL PROBLEMS IN YOUR UNIVERSE PEOPLE GETTING IN YOUR BUSINESS CORRUPTION, FAILURE OF IMAGINATION, "THE MIDDLE 1/3"
    54. THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT HAVE CAUSED TROUBLE FOR YOU IN THE LAST YEAR
      • OUTSIDERS
      • BAD INSIDERS
      • GOOD INSIDERS
      • Keep a list of troublemakers and then figure out how they would cause trouble and then avoid the trouble”
    55. DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION UNDERSTAND THE RISK OF ETHICAL LAPSES?
        • YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO GET INTO MY BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THE ETHICAL LAPSE I HAVE ALLOWED TO OCCUR ON MY WATCH
        • PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SADDLE ME WITH ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS AND OVERSIGHT, TERMINATE OR REASSIGN PERSONNEL, USE THESE LAPSES AS EXCUSES TO UNFUND PROGRAMS OR STRIP RESOURCES, AND TO CONTINUALLY BRING UP THE LAPSE FOR ANY NUMBER OF YEARS
    56. RULE 3
      • UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLE IN THE ORGANIZATION
      • YOUR ROLE IS DETERMINED BY THE INTERSECTION OF THE RISK TO THE CROWN JEWELS THE ORGANIZATION IS WILLING IS TO TAKE AND THE CONTROL THEY ARE WILLING TO GIVE TO YOU
    57. WHICH TYPE OF LAWYER ARE YOU?
      • A. Claims Reporters- who have no control and merely pass on the results of the risks taken
      • B. Claims Managers-who have some control to proactively manage any existing risk
      • C. Claims Avoiders- who have more control to proactively attempt to limit risk
      • D. Claims Preventers-who stomp out risk before it ever arises.
    58. REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE ORGANZIATION SAYS YOUR ROLE IS, REMEMBER YOU MUST PROTECT THE CROWN JEWELS
      • CONTROL OF THE INSTITUTION
      • MONEY
      • RE-ELECTION
    59. DIVISION 1 DILEMIA
      • 2005-2006
        • 14 major Division 1 infraction cases
    60. THINK ABOUT IT: WHEN DOES YOUR CLIENT LISTEN TO YOU?
      • ALWAYS
      • NEVER
      • ONLY WHEN THEY ARE IN TROUBLE
      • FOR THE 1ST 3 MONTHS AFTER THEY GET IN TROUBLE
      • ONLY IF I'M TAKING ABOUT IMPORTANT THINGS
      • EXCEPT WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT IMPORTANT THINGS
    61. BOEING
      • $1 B IN LOST LAUNCHES
      • $5-10B IN DAMAGES
      • 15 VP'S
      • 900 SUBSTANTIATED ETHICS CLAIMS
    62. JAN 2006 SPEECH CHOICES
      • CHANGE TO ETHICALLY COMPLIANT SYSTEM,
      • IF WE KEEP DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE CAN DO EVERYTHING BUT MAKE AIRPLANES
    63. RULE 4
      • LET THE CLIENT KNOW WHO THEY ARE (AND WHO THEY AREN'T)
    64. GET IT IN WRITING
      • ARE MY DUTIES IN WRITING?
      • HAVE I GONE OVER WHAT I THINK MY DUTIES ARE WITH ANYONE?
      • HAVE I TOLD ANYONE IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS ABOUT THE LIMITS OF MY REPRESENTATIONS?
        • DUTIES TO ORG.
        • A/C PRIVILEGE ISN'T AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK
    65. RULE 5
        • DO YOUR JOB!
    66. YOUR SINGLEST BIGGEST ETHICAL CHALLENGE AS A GOVERNMENT LAWYER….
    67. NO MATTER WHAT, REMEMBER WHAT YOUR JOB IS AND DO IT!
    68.  
    69. PRINCIPAL GARRISON'S TWO SIMPLE RULES
      • BE WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
      • DOING WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO
      • WHAT IS YOUR JOB?
    70. RULE 1
      • BE WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
    71. BE WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
    72. BE WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
    73. BE WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
    74. BE WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
    75. Be Where You Are Supposed to Be
    76. RULE 2
      • DOING WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO
    77. DOING WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO
    78. DOING WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO
    79. Doing What You are Supposed To Do
    80. ADDENDUM TO THESE TWO RULES
      • ANSWER TO EACH RULE SHOULD BE BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE ACTION WILL BE KNOWN
      • PRETEND THAT THAT FACT ALONE WILL DECIDE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO YOU
    81. IF YOU VIOLATE THE TWO RULES, YOU NEED AN EXCUSE
      • IF IT'S ABOUT TAKING SOMETHING, DOING SOMETHING, OR GOING SOMEWHERE REMOTELY RELATED TO YOUR JOB, YOU NEED TO TALK TO AN UNINTERESTED PARTY REGARDING YOUR EXCUSE
      • TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION
      • GENERAL COUNSEL
      • OUTSIDE LAWYER
    82. EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE DECIDE NOT TO DO THEIR JOB
    83. RULE 6
        • EVERY DAY, ASK
        • WDWDW?
    84. RULE 6:ASK WHAT DID WE DO WRONG
      • GOAL: ONLY MAKE NEW LEGAL MISTAKES
      • PROBLEM: NOT RECOGNIZING THAT SOMETHING WENT WRONG
        • A MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE
        • NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALMOST BEING SUED TO WINNING ON APPEAL
    85. RULE 6: WDWDW YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND EACH TRAIN WRECK
      • THIS REALLY ISN'T A TRAIN WRECK
      • THIS REALLY WASN'T A BAD TRAIN WRECK
      • THE CAUSE IS OBVIOUS
    86. LAST ETHICS PROBLEM (ETHICS PROBLEMS ARE LIKE A PITCH AT YOUR HEAD )
      • I SAW IT COMING
        • WHY DID YOU NOT TO STOP IT BEFORE IT HAPPENED?
      • I DID NOT SEE IT COMING
        • WHY NOT?
    87. THINK ABOUT YOUR LAST ETHICS PROBLEM THAT DEALT WITH YOUR INTERNAL PROCEDURE
    88. WDWDW: 4 GREAT RATIONALZATIONS
      • ACTIVITY IS CONDONED
      • ACTIVITY IS SAFE FROM DISCOVERY
      • ACTIVITY IS IN THE CLIENT'S BEST INTEREST
      • IT NOT ILLEGAL OR IMMORAL, BUT AN ACCEPTED PRACTICE
        • “THE 5 MOST DANGEROUS WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: EVERY ONE IS DOING IT”
    89. RULE 7
      • DON'T DRINK THE KOOL AID
    90. GREATEST DANGER
      • CORNER OFFICE
      • GREAT VIEW
      • ___ MONTHS TO RETIREMENT
      • CUSHY JOB
      • IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO WORK!
    91. HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIE, PIRANHA...
    92.  
    93. EXAMPLES OF DRINKING THE KOOL-AID
      • IT'S ONLY THIS TRANSACTION
      • EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT
      • COMMONLY UTILIZED TRANSACTION
      • NOT UNLAWFUL
      • I DON'T WANT TO KNOW
      • BECAUSE I SAID TO DO IT
      • YOU ONLY HAVE TO HOLD YOUR NOSE FOR A MINUTE
    94. WAYS TO STOP DRINKING THE KOOL-AID
        • PLAY “ASK THE QUESTION THE WAY THE DA/INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE/ MALPRACTICE CARRIER WOULD?”
    95. HP:DRINKING THE KOOL-AID
      • IS PRETEXTING, A COMMON UTILIZED INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUE, LEGAL?
      • CAN A 3RD PARTY PRETEND TO BE SOMEONE ELSE, OBTAIN PRIVATE PHONE RECORDS WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION AND NOT SUFFER ANY CONSEQUENCES?
    96. HP:DRINKING THE KOOL-AID PART 2
      • “I SHOULDN'T HAVE ASKED”
      • OOPS, NOW I KNOW. SO EITHER I HAVE TO TAKE SOME ACTION OR I'LL HAVE TO EXPLAIN MY INACTION WHEN THIS EMAIL IS EXPOSED
    97.  
    98. DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID
      • WHY?
    99. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

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