PROFITS AND PROFESSIONALISM

This Article looks at the financial effect of ethics work. The author examines to what effect and under what circumstances “ethics pays,” and what can be done to increase the rate of return. The article studies this issue in three different contexts. First, it looks at workplace cultures and professional values.

The author tries to find how the legal professional can create more organizational structures in which adhering to principles serves prudential interests. The second context is pro bono work. Here, the author looks at the pro bono benefits to, the lawyer, and legal employer, as well as the costs incurred. Finally, the author looks at this issue in a quality of life context.

This part looks at the intersection of leading a balanced life with a lawyer’s bottom line. Finally, the Article proposes specific strategies for all in the legal profession to recognize the financial ways in which ethics can be beneficial.