Editorial How Are Law Firms in India Ethical in their Legal Practise?

As India stands on the cusp of expanding its market to new businesses, the strong legal community of India will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the country. In this scenario, an important question is whether law firms in India are ethical in their law practise as only a fair and just law firm can uphold justice for every Indian citizen.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) is the established community of lawyers, which define the ethical standards for the legal community. The established ethical code must be followed by all BCI lawyers, irrespective of whether they practise individually or on behalf of a law firm.

Listed below are some codes of ethics that must be adhered to by Indian law firms:

• The lawyer must conduct himself or herself in the high standards of the BCI code and as a privileged member of the legal community, keeping in mind that ethics that are acceptable for any non-member may not be suitable for the lawyer.
• The lawyer must without fear uphold the interest and rights of his or her client. The lawyer must ethically defend the client irrespective of their personal opinion with regards to the guilt of the client. Additionally, the lawyer must keep all business and personal affairs of the client private and confidential.
• With regards to court briefs, the lawyer is obligated in accepting the court brief with regards to the practise area, professional fees, and the right to counsel services. The lawyer can only decline the court brief if not competent to perform it efficiently.
• Lawyers must present themselves in court with the prescribed court attire and conduct themselves with honesty and integrity. In addition to addressing the court at all time, the lawyer must refrain from interrupting the opposite party or speak out of turn.
• The lawyer must not withdraw from an accepted legal case without a suitable reason or without proper notice to the court or client.

In this age of globalization, the law firms play an important role in serving local and international clients in understanding and providing clarity to the legal rules. Only an ethical law firm can provide proper legal guidance and service to its clients.

Legal Practice:

Practice - Education, CLE

Jurisdiction:

• Other