Ethics Department
The Ethics Department provides ethics advice to Arizona lawyers and legal paraprofessionals about their own future conduct, creates and presents various CLE seminars, and staffs the Ethics Advisory Group (EAG). The Ethics Department does not handle lawyer discipline. Attorney-client disputes and allegations of misconduct are resolved through the Lawyer Regulation Department.
The Ethics Department is staffed by Ethics Counsel, Legal Services Manager, Program Coordinator and Legal Administrative Assistant.
Ethics Resources
Best Practices from the Ethics Advisory Group
Rules of Professional Conduct
Ethics Hotline
Ethics Opinions
Unauthorized Practice of Law Opinions
FAQs on Legal Paraprofessionals (LP) and Alternative Business Structures (ABS)
Advice on Use of Generative AI
Administrative Order 2024-33 created the Arizona Steering Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts. While the Committee is still active, all existing Ethical Rules apply to an attorney’s use of generative AI. Click here to read the Committee’s Nov. 14, 2024 ethical best practices for use of generative AI. More information about the Committee and its work can be found here.
Ethical Rules and Government Attorneys
Please see the Government Lawyers Ethics Manual, 1st Edition found here. The manual was created by and posted with permission of the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys' Advisory Council. In addition to explaining various aspects of the applicable rules, the manual includes helpful sample forms.
Arizona Supreme Court's Ethics Advisory Committee
The Arizona Supreme Court's Ethics Advisory Committee (EAC), was created pursuant to Rule 42.1, Ariz. R. Sup. Ct., and Administrative Order No. 2018-110. The EAC may issue opinions on lawyer ethics, professionalism and the unauthorized practice of law. Pursuant to Rule 42.1(h) proposed ethics opinions must be open for 90 days for public comment. After the public comment period ends, EAC will consider all submitted comments.