Opinions

All opinions of the Committee on Professional Ethics are available online here.  To locate a specific opinion or opinions, enter the opinion number or keyword in the appropriate search box below. Licensed attorneys may also call 877-953-5535 for access to opinions

The Committee on Professional Ethics issues opinions pursuant to Tex. Gov’t. Code §81.091- 81.095.  §81.091(a) states that “[t]he committee shall, either on its own initiative or when requested to do so by a member of the state bar, express its opinion on the propriety of professional conduct other than on a question pending before a court of this state.”   The nine members of the Committee are appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas.

• Opinion 663

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 663
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: September 2016

  Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may Texas lawyers in a law firm that is a member of an organization that includes other law firms use the name of that organization as the law firm’s name on pleadings or other public communications if all names contained in the organization’s name are not names of current or former members of the firm or a predecessor firm?

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• Opinion 662

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 662
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: August 2016

  May a Texas lawyer respond publicly to a former client’s adverse comments on the internet? If so, what information may the lawyer disclose?

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• Opinion 661

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 661
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: July 2016

  Does a lawyer violate the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct by using the name of a competing lawyer or law firm as a keyword in the implementation of an advertising service offered by a major search-engine company?

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• Opinion 660

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 660
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: July 2016

  Does Professional Ethics Opinion 549 (August 2003), which addressed the calculation of a lawyer’s contingent fee in a workers’ compensation case, apply outside the context of workers’ compensation?

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• Opinion 659

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 659
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: July 2016

  May a Texas lawyer represent one insured in settling a claim and later represent that client’s insurance company in defending another insured’s claim that arises out of the same incident?

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• Opinion 658

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 658
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: July 2016

  May a Texas lawyer bill clients for expenses paid to a third party in an amount that is greater than the amount that the third party charged the lawyer? May Texas lawyers charge for the expenses paid to a third-party vendor that is owned by a member of their law firm?

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• Opinion 657

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 657
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: May 2016

  What documents and information must be delivered by a lawyer to a former client convicted of a criminal offense when requested by that former client? Who bears the costs of delivering the documents and information to the former client? In what form must the documents and information be delivered?

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• Opinion 656

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 656
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of texas
  Date: May 2016

  Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct may a lawyer, as a part of becoming a member of a law firm, enter into an agreement with the law firm that provides that the lawyer is restricted or prohibited from providing legal services to clients of the law firm after the lawyer’s work with the law firm ends?

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• Opinion 655

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 655
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For The State Bar of texas
  Date: May 2016

  Is it permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for a lawyer to sell accounts receivable owing by the lawyer’s clients to a collection company?

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• Opinion 654

  Canon:
  Opinion #: 654
  Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
  Date: March 2016

  Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may a lawyer encourage members of the public to visit her law office by offering to provide free information such as warrant checks and bail bond information that may be of interest to the public?

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