Clifford Scott-Rudnick serves on the CLE Committee for the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, and has been a lawyer in Illinois for over 40 years. He has lectured across the country, including for Trial Attorneys of America, the National Alzheimer’s Association, and the American Bankers Association.
Clifford has taught as an Assistant Professor and Adjunct Professor at The John Marshall Law School for over 30 years, focusing on professional responsibility and practice management, among other subjects.
CLE Presentations
We’ll watch the fascinating film “The Children Act” (2017), with its many ethical quandaries. Our expert speaker, a member of the CLE Committee for the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, will pause throughout to discuss and consider key questions from many perspectives, including the US ABA Model Rules and other standards governing lawyers and judges in Europe. In this film, High Court Judge Fiona Maye (actor, Emma Thompson) must decide whether to compel a teenage boy to undergo a life-saving blood transfusion. Or, to defer to the devout beliefs of the boy and his parents.
The two legal systems of attorney and judicial ethics have evolved in entirely different legal, historical, and cultural contexts. We’ll compare and contrast some of the key aspects between European Canon Law and US law, Including Historical Development, Scope, Enforcement, Clients, Religion, Confidentiality, Conflicts of Interest, Truthfulness, Advocacy, and Cultural Variation. While both European Canon Law and US law consider ethical responsibilities, they do so within distinct frameworks and with different priorities. European Canon Law centers on religious and moral duties, while US law primarily focuses on regulating attorneys’ professional conduct and maintaining the integrity of the legal system.
During this session we’ll screen the documentary “To Defend a Killer,” which examines the rights and ethical complexities faced by the guilty in the US criminal justice system. The film features interviews of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, defense attorney Jack Litman, and philosopher John Smith of Yale. Our expert speaker will provide a thoughtful discussion of the US ethical considerations and draw comparisons with the legal landscapes of European countries we are visiting – Spain, France and Italy. We’ll discuss variations and explore the pursuit of justice on both sides of the Atlantic.
While watching the movie Roman J. Israel, Esq. -Columbia Pictures/Sony (2017) Clifford Scott-Rudnick, J.D. will stop to discuss points when the characters face ethical and professional responsibility challenges as they conduct trial preparation, courtroom activity and retain clients.
There will be a discussion incorporating American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules and ABA Judicial Canons affecting lawyers, with special emphasis on whistleblowing awards, mental health issues and diversity and inclusion.
We will watch selected scenes from tv shows and movies that illustrate lawyer problems in addressing issues of diversity and inclusion and then discuss what attendees see and hear from the clips. Clifford Scott-Rudnick, J.D. discusses how to change the behavior of the characters presented and suggest ways to change the behavior of the attendees in addressing these issues in their law practices.
We will discuss and use Artificial Intelligence programs to apply to contemporary problems of the practice of law and try as a group to develop strategies for its use. Cliff Scott-Rudnick will lead the discussion testing Al technology on solving drafting solutions compared to the expertise of the attendees. There will be time for questions and discussion throughout the presentation.
In this session, we will watch selected scenes from *Win Win* (2011), a film about a small-town attorney who takes advantage of his court-appointed guardianship over an elderly client with dementia for personal gain. The scenes will highlight issues such as breach of fiduciary duty, violations of professional responsibility rules, and the ethics of dishonesty with clients, colleagues, and the court. We will also examine violations of guardianship statutes and court rules. Panelists will discuss the legal, ethical, and practical implications raised by these scenes, offering insights into real-world issues. Attendees are encouraged to watch the full movie before the seminar, though the program will still be informative for those who have not.
We will watch selected excerpts from the video of the 1965 debate and stop to discuss points when he addresses the legal and ethical problems and their relevance to today. We will discuss relevance to the ABA Model Rules, Aba Judicial Canons and the application of Illinois Supreme Court Rules and Canons affecting lawyers and judges, including Diversity & Inclusion.