By the NHBA Ethics Committee
A lawyer representing a client who needs an interpreter should, ideally, engage the services of a qualified, impartial third party to ensure compliance with Rule 1.1, Rule 1.4 and Rule 1.6.
What are the ethical obligations of an attorney representing a client with whom the attorney cannot communicate directly in a language understood by the client?
Care should be exercised in determining which version of a given Rule applies as of a given date, and the extent to which the interpretation of a given opinion or article will apply to such version. Many interpretations of New Hampshire ethics law (including many ethics opinions, practical ethics articles, and ethics corner articles issued by the NHBA Ethics Committee) have been published under the prior version of the Rules of Professional Conduct or predecessor rules. Read more.
Brief Bar News articles by the Ethics Committee examine frequently asked questions on ethics. View Ethics Corner Articles.
The Ethics Committee provides several services for members of the Bar. New Hampshire lawyers may contact the Committee for confidential and informal guidance on their own prospective conduct or suggest topics for Ethics Corner.
Members are encouraged to ask the NHBA Ethics Committee questions pertaining to New Hampshire practice. Inquiries and requests for opinions should be directed to the Ethics Committee staff liaison,
603-715-3259.
The Rules of Professional Conduct constitute the disciplinary standard for New Hampshire lawyers. Together with law and other regulations governing lawyers, the Rules establish the boundaries of permissible and impermissible lawyer conduct. View the rules.