Partial List of Articles by Maridee F. Edwards

• Seeking the gold standard in self-regulation                                                Missouri Lawyers Weekly, November 17, 2008                                           Recent years have seen increasesd regulation of accountants, largely a self regulating profession in the past. Lawyers should be aware of the obligations for handling trust accounts with the same fiduciary responsibility as accountants, in order to show accountability for protecting the public from financial abuses.                                                                                     
• Overwhelming caseload may prompt ethics violations                                Missouri Lawyers Weekly, October, 2008                                                                Public Defenders' overwhelming caseloads have prompted drastic action by refusing to accept certain criminal cases, despite the constitutional right to counsel. Regardless of whether a client pays a fee, a lawyer owes the same duty of diligence to the client.                                                                                  
• The Mark of a Professional
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, July, 2008
  The trademark of master craftsmen of the Middle Ages was protected dearly as their reputation and livelihood depended on the quality behind their mark and service. Lawyers striving for the elusive ideal often referred to as “professionalism” may find value in concrete tenets from the ABA’s Guidelines for Litigation Conduct.
  
• Are You Informed About Informed Consent?
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, May, 2008
  If you haven’t taken a look at the revised Rules of Professional Conduct in Supreme Court Rule 4 which became effective last July, these are the two phrases you need to remember: Informed consent and Confirmed in writing. However the level of disclosure which is necessary to qualify as reasonable and diligent action on the part of the lawyer is not always clear.
  
• Mediation Month Provides Opportunity to Consider Ethical Duties Missouri Lawyers Weekly, April, 2008
  Mediation is a prominent form of alternate dispute resolution, yet some lawyers are  reluctant to recommend it to clients. Mediation’s focus on self-determination of the parties can be a little scary to some lawyers. Many models of mediation suggest the ideal process involves direct communication of the parties and the mediator, and some even go so far as to discourage active participation of their lawyers.  What is the ethical limit on stepping into the background and allowing the client to engage in “do it yourself”  settlement negotiations?
  
• It May be Legal, but is it Ethical?
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, February, 2008
  Taking lessons from the business and corporate world and legislation of recent years setting standards and guidelines for ethical conduct.
  
• Back to Basics
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, January, 2008
  Looking beyond the letter of the law to the underlying values they represent.
  
• More Questions About Lawyer Advertising
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, (Fall, 2007)
  
• The Zeal Has Gone Out of Representation?
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Sept. 10, 2007.
  Recent examples of overzealous representation in the news shown as reasons for the revision of the rule on diligent representation to exclude the phrase “zealously represent”.
  
• Opening the Doors to Pro Se Litigants
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, August, 2007.
  Commentary on the ethical considerations of proposed rules on lawyers, clerks, and judges, as well as the practical ramifications to non-lawyers, with regard to unrepresented parties in court.
  
• Protecting Our Own
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, July 23, 2007. (re-named, If it protects then we must expose problems.)The duty to report misconduct and the prevalence of addiction in attorneys.
  
• Guilty Until Proven Innocent
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, June 4, 2007. (re-named, Even Duke lacrosse prosecutor is presumed innocent.) –The ethics questions of prosecutor statements in the media
  
• Your Life Is In Their Hands
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, May 14, 2007. – Duties of supervising non-lawyers and some horror stories to convince professionals of the liability they face for not being vigilant.
  
• Do Ethics Codes Promote Ethical Conduct?
  Missouri Lawyers Weekly, March 19, 2007. – Analysis of the new ABA Model Rules of Professional Responsibility and Kohlberg’s model of moral development.
  
• Your Duty to Report Misconduct
  The Missouri Bar Bulletin, January, 2006, 11-13.
  
• Lawyer Advertising – Love It Or Hate It
  The Missouri Bar Bulletin, November, 2004, 24-25.
  
• One More Time With Feeling – The Need For Communication With Clients
  The Missouri Bar Bulletin, January, 2004, 35.
  
• Questions About New Model Rule 1.6 -- Exceptions to Maintaining Client Confidences
  St. Louis Lawyer Magazine, December, 2003.
  
• The “Not-So-New” Disciplinary System
  The Missouri Bar Bulletin, November, 2003, 36-37.
  
• Disciplinary Cases from Other States Are Instructive
  The Missouri Bar Bulletin, September, 2003, 9-10.
  
• Recent Opinions of Supreme Court Provide Guidance for Attorneys
  The Missouri Bar Bulletin, (co-authored with Sharon Weedin)
  
• Probation and Diversion, New Programs at OCDC
  Missouri Bar Bulletin, January, 2003, 20-21.
  
• New, Improved Rules of Professional Conduct-What does this mean for Missouri lawyers?
  St Louis Lawyer, October, 2002, 12A, 19.
  
• Status of ABA Recommendations for Change To Discipline System
  St Louis Lawyer, October, 2002, 13.
  
• Lawyers and the Unauthorized Practice of Law
  Missouri Bar Bulletin, July 2002, 20-21. (co-authored with Sharon Weedin)

Maridee F Edwards, LLC

Attorney at Law / Mediator

P.O. Box 105723, Jefferson City, MO 65110, Phone: 573-635-5826 or 573-230-4202
mfe@maridee-edwards-ethics.com

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