99 N.J.L.J. 588
July 1, 1976
OPINION 335
Attorney Helping to Organize
Prepaid Legal Services Group
This inquiry is directed to this Committee by the New Jersey
State Bar Association Committee on Prepaid Legal Services. The
question posed is whether an attorney who helps a group form a
prepaid legal aid program can thereafter be employed by that group
to provide legal services under the program.
The inquirer points to a notice from the Clerk of the Supreme
Court, 99 N.J.L.J. 177 (1976), which cautions members of the bar
that attorneys who participate in advising or assisting groups to
establish prepaid legal services, which ultimately results in the
attorney becoming counsel to the group, might be considered as
acting improperly under DR 2-103(D)(4)(g). That rule provides in
subsection (D) that a lawyer shall not knowingly assist a person or
organization that furnishes or pays for legal services to others to
promote the use of his services, except as permitted by DR
2-101(B). He is not prohibited, however, from being recommended,
employed or paid by organizations listed in DR 2-103(D)(1) to (4),
if there is no interference with the exercise of independent
professional judgment on behalf of his client.
Subsection (D)(4) says that he may represent any bona fide
organization that recommends, furnishes or pays for legal services
to its members or beneficiaries, provided certain conditions are
satisfied. Seven conditions are then listed in (D)(4)(a) to (g).
Subsection (g) requires that all such plans must be filed with the
Supreme Court and approved by it. The other pertinent section, as
far as this inquiry is concerned, is (D)(4)(b), which provides as
follows:
(b) Neither the lawyer, nor his partner,
nor associate, nor any other lawyer nor any
non-lawyer affiliated with him or his firm
directly or indirectly which have irked or
promoted such organization which initiation or
promotion shall result in financial or other
benefit to such lawyer, partner, associate,
affiliated lawyer, or non-lawyer. (Emphasis
added)
There can be little doubt that, if a lawyer is requested to
organize a group of persons who will pay money into an organization
fund so that their legal services can be prepaid, the lawyer will
expect to represent the group. The quoted subsection would seem to
proscribe a lawyer soliciting a group to form such an organization
so that he could become counsel.
We believe that the admonition contained in the Supreme
Court's Notice to the Bar, above cited, was intended to call
attention to the fact that it is unethical to solicit a group of
persons to organize in order to become counsel to the group but was
not intended to prevent a lawyer from representing the organization
if he is approached to formalize the group and get necessary
approval from the Supreme Court and any other regulatory bodies.
Obviously, a lawyer should not, under these circumstances, be then
required to relinquish representation of the organization.