Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Jan. 2, 2026
In praise of civility and the social contract
California now requires lawyers to pledge civility, but rules alone can't fix a profession--or a society--that has forgotten the social contract.
Timothy D. Reuben
Reuben MediationTim Reuben spent more than 40 years handling complex legal disputes in California's state and federal courts. As the founder and managing partner of Reuben Raucher & Blum in Los Angeles, he has worked on a wide range of matters through jury and bench trials, arbitration, mediation, judicial reference, and settlement conferences across multiple areas of civil law, including commercial, real estate, construction, employment, intellectual property, insurance, professional liability, and unfair competition.
All attorneys are now receiving from the State Bar the following notice of a rule change: "The California Supreme Court has amended rule 9.7 of the Rules of Court: All active licensees and special admissions attorneys--which, for purposes of rule 9.7, includes foreign legal consultants--are required to submit an annual declaration of adherence to the attorney oath." Simply put, to maintain his or her ...
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$895, but save $100 when you subscribe today… Just $795 for the first year!
Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)
Already a subscriber?
Sign In