The following are some more guidelines from the “MN Rules of Professional Conduct” document that we found in the MN Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board (LPRB) website:
- Informed consent requires that each affected client be aware of the relevant circumstances and of the material and reasonably foreseeable ways that the conflict could have adverse effects on the interests of that client.
- A lawyer shall provide competent representation to a client. Competent representation requires the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation reasonably necessary for the representation.
- Clients normally defer to the special knowledge and skill of their lawyer with respect to the means to be used to accomplish their objectives, particularly with respect to technical, legal, and tactical matters.
- A lawyer should demonstrate respect for the legal system and for those who serve it, including judges, other lawyers.
- A lawyer should maintain a professional, courteous, and civil attitude toward all persons involved in the legal system.
As I describe in my book “Minority Viewpoint”, I was certain that because of the guidelines displayed on the LPRB website, our complaint will at least be investigated to see if my lawyer’s actions or inactions were appropriate. But they decided not to investigate at all. I was disappointed to find out that the LPRB thought that our complaint (and the subsequent appeal) was not worthy of an investigation.