Ethics opinions are issued by the PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee.

The committee responds to requests from any PBA member concerning the impact of the provisions of the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct upon the member’s prospective conduct. The committee does not address questions about a lawyer’s past conduct, disciplinary matters, matters in litigation or questions of law.

Ethics opinions of the committee are advisory only and are not binding on the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania or any other court. An ethics opinion carries only such weight as an appropriate reviewing authority may choose to give it.

Many “formal” opinions (written by the full committee on global ethics issues) are available to search by the public. These opinions can be found by using the search box above.

The PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee has issued PBA Formal Opinion 2020-300 in response to questions from Pennsylvania lawyers related to their ethical obligations when working remotely.

Additional Resources

Read The Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct.

Purchase the Pennsylvania Ethics Handbook from the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.