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Legal Ethics
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Is a 12-year sentence enough for Madoff?
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009The Associated Press reported today that Bernard Madoff’s lawyer, Ira Sorkin, has asked the judge who will sentence Madoff to limit his jail time to a mere twelve years. Sorkin contends that sentencing the 71-year-old Madoff to only a dozen years in prison would be appropriate, given that Madoff surrendered voluntarily, accepted responsibility for [...]
When it comes to ethics, the grass is sometimes greener
Thursday, May 14th, 2009When I work with organizations to develop their codes of ethics, I frequently encourage them to look beyond their specific fields to see what other professions and industries are doing. They sometimes push back, arguing that their particular areas of expertise are so specialized and technical that no one else could possibly write rules [...]
Have you updated your company’s gift and entertainment policy?
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009AIG’s use of federal bailout money to pay lavish bonuses has made the embattled insurer a favorite target for public disgust over corporate excess. It’s not that AIG was doing anything illegal, you understand. It’s just that funding personal luxury with taxpayer funds is in very, very bad taste.
You’d think that other companies [...]
Business Apology Tip #3 - Consider calling your lawyer
Friday, April 17th, 2009My last business apology tip focused on the importance of investigating a customer complaint to find out what happened. You really can’t avoid this step. After all, how can you apologize if you don’t know what you’re apologizing for, right?
Once you’ve looked into the facts behind the incident that upset your [...]
Attorney General Holder deserves kudos for enforcing ethics standards
Monday, April 6th, 2009Back in August, I wrote a post wondering whether the next President would take steps to enforce strong ethics at the Justice Department. It’s a pleasure to observe that the answer seems to be a resounding yes.
While never before expecting to praise the dismissal of public corruption charges against an elected official, I have [...]
Why didn’t Tampa police apologize faster to Brian Sterner?
Monday, February 23rd, 2009On January 29th Brian Sterner, a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic, was arrested by Tampa police over a driving offense. When he was brought in for booking, officers ordered Sterner to stand up which, of course, he was unable to do. Unfortunately, Deputy Charlotte Marshall-Jones apparently thought Sterner was bluffing, and unceremoniously dumped him out of [...]
The right lawyer can help you apologize
Friday, February 20th, 2009This morning’s Today Show included a segment on corporate apologies - naturally, I watched with interest. The guest made several excellent points, but lost me completely when he started lawyer-bashing. Admittedly, I’m a little sensitive on that subject because I’m an attorney, but my back went straight up when the guest dismissively said [...]
Is it ethical for the police to run want ads for informants?
Monday, November 24th, 2008The Washington Post Express reported this morning on the Albuquerque Police Department’s decision to use the want ads to recruit informants. According to the Post Express, the police department’s ad solicits “people who hang out with crooks,” inviting them to “Make extra cash!” by reporting criminal behavior, earning anywhere from $50 for a tip that [...]
$700 billion for the bailout, but NOTHING for enforcement?
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008NPR reported this morning that the FBI has begun investigating the financial crisis on Wall Street, and has already started uncovering instances of subprime mortgage lending fraud. That’s no surprise, because we already know that loans were being made to homeowners who couldn’t possibly afford to pay them. The good news is that the FBI is bringing [...]
Was SEC Chair Christopher Cox right to dismiss self-regulation?
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008As the subprime mortgage/credit crisis continues to play out, the second-guessing has begun. The New York Times recently quoted Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox as blaming the SEC’s “voluntary regulation” program for the failure. To grossly oversimplify the program, investment banks were invited, but not required, to submit to the SEC’s supervision, opting [...]
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