Minnesota Legislature
Office of the Revisor of Statutes
MINNESOTA COURT RULES
PROFESSIONAL RULES
Professionalism Aspirations1
Professionalism Aspirations1
Adopted January 11, 2001
1A summary form of these Professionalism Aspirations is included at the end of the document. This summary version is intended to permit the standards to be posted, included in literature, or otherwise made available where the entire text would be cumbersome.
TABLE OF HEADNOTES
| Preamble | |||
| I. | Our Legal System | ||
| A. | Respect and Dignity | ||
| B. | Honesty | ||
| C. | Equal Access | ||
| D. | Education | ||
| E. | Appearance of Impropriety | ||
| II. | Lawyer to Client | ||
| A. | Independent Judgment | ||
| B. | Proper Conduct on Behalf of Clients | ||
| III. | Lawyer to Lawyer | ||
| A. | Courtesy and Punctuality | ||
| B. | Drafting | ||
| C. | Scheduling, Extensions, Cancellations | ||
| D. | Discovery | ||
| E. | Sanctions | ||
| F. | Opportunity to Respond | ||
| G. | Settlement | ||
| H. | Request During Trial or Hearing | ||
| I. | Conduct of Others | ||
| IV. | Lawyer and Judge | ||
| A. | Lawyers' Duties to Court and Administrative Tribunal | ||
| B. | The Duties of Judges, Referees, and Administrative Law Judges to Lawyers and Parties | ||
| C. | The Duties of Judges, Referees, and Administrative Law Judges to Each Other | ||
Summary Standards
| I. | Our Legal System | |
| II | Lawyer to Client | |
| III. | Lawyer to Lawyer | |
| IV. | Lawyer and Judge |
Preamble
We, the judges and lawyers of Minnesota, have a special responsibility for the quality of justice. We have taken an oath to conduct ourselves in an upright and courteous manner with fidelity to the court and the client, promising no falsehood or deceit. Commensurate with this responsibility and unique oath is the obligation to conduct our affairs according to the highest standards of professionalism.
The following standards reflect our commitment to professionalism. They memorialize our obligations to each other, our clients and to the people of the State of Minnesota. They are designed to raise public confidence in the legal profession and the justice system through the promotion and protection of professionalism and civility.
These standards are not to be used as a basis for litigation, lawyer discipline, or court sanctions. Nothing in these standards supersedes or detracts from existing disciplinary codes or alters existing standards of conduct against which lawyer negligence may be determined.