Mark Dubois

Ethics Matters

Trying To Fit Square Pegs Into Round Holes

Monday, June 4, 2012 | by Mark Dubois | The Connecticut Law Tribune

Occasionally I have been questioned/challenged/called out as to whether the Rules of Professional Conduct ought to apply to government lawyers. Good question. My best answer is "maybe," but I am not sure.

Ethics Matters

Good Stuff This Way Comes

Monday, May 28, 2012 | by Mark Dubois | The Connecticut Law Tribune

By the time you read this, the Judicial Branch's Rules Committee may have considered some very interesting and, I believe, good amendments to the Practice Book. The panel met May 21 to consider a mixed bag of things. Among them are several that I have been tracking for some time due to my interest in all things related to lawyering.

Ethics Matters

Stalked By Those Silly Sovereigns

Monday, May 21, 2012 | by Mark Dubois | The Connecticut Law Tribune

I owe some guy $2 million. At least that was the bill he served on me at the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel. He is one of those "sovereign citizens" you may have heard about. These folks have a really unique take on almost all of our law. One thing they do is copyright their names. So if you send them a letter addressed to their name, you owe them for copyright infringement. At least I think that I how I ran up such a bill. Luckily, they never filed one of their patented "constitutional liens" against my home. Some judges and prosecutors have tens of millions of dollars' worth of liens filed against them. Makes selling the house a bit tricky.

• Bankruptcy & Creditors and Debtors Rights

Ethics Matters

Pro Bono Proposal Could Tap Deep Talent Pool

Monday, May 14, 2012 | by Mark Dubois | The Connecticut Law Tribune

Judge Jonathan Lippman of the New York Court of Appeals has set off something of a firestorm by proposing a rule that 50 hours of mandatory pro bono be a part of the admission requirements for New York lawyers. His proposal is both a pragmatic (though heavy-handed) solution to a pressing need and a cynical recognition that new admittees really have no say in setting the standards by which they will get (or be denied) licenses.

Ethics Matters

An Expert Opinion On Specialist Certification

Monday, May 7, 2012 | by Mark Dubois | The Connecticut Law Tribune

Someone asked me the other day if I considered myself an expert on legal ethics. Hmmm.... Good question. When I left my office as disciplinary counsel, I had handled something over 1,100 files. In some circles, doing the same thing again and again gives you some creds.

• Labor and Employment Law

Ethics Matters

More Diversity Would Make A Good CBA Even Better

Monday, April 30, 2012 | by Mark Dubois | The Connecticut Law Tribune

I was both pleased and pained a few weeks ago to read an article on how the Connecticut Bar Association has voted to create positions in its House of Delegates for representatives of minority bars. I think this is an important step in getting more diversity into the association, which is a great thing. I was pained that one member of the membership committee was quoted as saying that some folks think the leadership of the CBA is too old, too white and too male. The truth hurts.

Ethics Matters

India's Legal Culture Isn't So Different

Monday, April 23, 2012 | by Mark Dubois | The Connecticut Law Tribune

OK, some days just can't seem to get going. Instead of jumping into the brief I have to write, or filing the many e-docs littering my in-box, I desperately look around for something to amuse and distract me. My latest hideout is something called Bar and Bench, which is a really neat web site catering to lawyers in India.

Ethics Matters

It's Risky To Have Your Head In The Clouds

Monday, April 16, 2012 | by Mark Dubois | The Connecticut Law Tribune

Lots of folks are flocking to the "cloud" these days. Using what one guy calls "cyberlockers" to store your files in a central location will allow you to access your work and personal files from anywhere in the world. The idea is to store everything in the Ethernet and use your PDA, laptop, tablet or other devise as a portal. It is called cloud computing, and it sounds really neat.