Complete List of ABA Ethics Opinions from 2020-present

By

If you want to know what kept lawyers awake at night over the last six years, don't look at the headlines. Look at the Ethics Opinions.  In 2020, the ABA was worried about how we work from our kitchen tables (Op. 20-495). By 2024, they were worried about whether our computers were lying to us (Op. 24-512). And just this month, with Op. 521, they’ve turned the lens back on the judges themselves—reminding us that the 'appearance of impropriety' isn't just a courtroom standard; it’s a management standard.

I compiled a list of all the formal ethics opinions from the American Bar Association from 2020 onward (up to today, Feb. 24, 2026). I have hyperlinks to download the opinions free online.

·       ABA Formal Op. 26-521 The Judicial Canons of Ethics Applicability to the Administrative and Supervisory Role of a Judge

·       ABA Formal Op. 26-520 A Lawyer’s Obligation to Convey Information to a Former Client or Successor Counsel 

·       ABA Formal Op. 25-519 Disclosure of Information Relating to the Representation in a Motion to Withdraw From a Representation

·       ABA Formal Op. 25-518 A Lawyer’s Duties to Avoid Misleading Communications When Acting as a Third-Party Neutral Mediator

·       ABA Formal Op. 25-517 Discrimination in the Jury Selection Process

·       ABA Formal Op. 25-516 Terminating a Client Representation Under MRPC 1.16(b)(1): What “Material Adverse Effects” Prevent Permissive Withdrawal? (2025)

·       ABA Formal Op. 25-515 Lawyer’s Discretion to Report When a Client Commits a Crime Against the Lawyer or Against Someone Associated with, or Related to, the Lawyer (2025)

·       ABA Formal Op. 25-514 Lawyer’s Obligations When Advising an Organization About Conduct that May Create Legal Risks for the Organization’s Constituents (2025)

·       ABA Formal Op. 24-513 Duty to Inquire Into and Assess the Facts and Circumstances of Each Representation (2024)

·       ABA Formal Op. 24-512 Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (2024)

·       ABA Formal Op. 24-511R Confidentiality Obligations of Lawyers Posting to Listservs (2024)

·       ABA Formal Op. 24-510 (2024) Avoiding the Imputation of a Conflict of Interest When a Law Firm is Adverse to One of its Lawyer’s Prospective Clients

·       ABA Formal Op. 24-509 - Disqualification to Prevent the Misuse Use of “Confidential Government Information” ( 2024)

·       ABA Formal Op. 23-508 The Ethics of Witness Preparation (2023)

·       ABA Formal Op. 23-507 Office Sharing Arrangements with Other Lawyers (2023)

·       ABA Formal Op. 23-506 Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistants  (2023)

·       ABA Formal Op. 23-505 Fees Paid in Advance for Contemplated Services (2023)

·       ABA Formal Op. 23-504 Choice of Law (2023)

·       ABA Formal Op. 22-503 Reply All in Lawyer Communications (2022)

·       ABA Formal Op. 22-502 Communication with a Represented Person by a Pro Se Lawyer

·       ABA Formal Op. 22-501 Solicitation (2022)

·       ABA Formal Op. 21-500 Language Access in the Client-Lawyer Relationship (2021)

·       ABA Formal Op. 21-499 Passive Investment in Alternative Business Structures (2021)

·       ABA Formal Op. 21-498 Virtual Practice (2021)

·       ABA Formal Op. 21-497 Conflicts Involving Materially Adverse Interests (2021)

·       ABA Formal Op. 21-496 Responding to Online Criticism (2021)

·       ABA Formal Op. 20-495 Lawyers Working Remotely (2020)

·       ABA Formal Op. 20-494 Conflicts Arising Out of a Lawyer's Personal Relationship with Opposing Counsel (2020)

·       ABA Formal Op. 20-493 - Model Rule 8.4(g) Purpose, Scope, and Application (2020)

·       ABA Formal Op. 20-492 Obligations to Prospective Clients- Confidentiality, Conflicts and “Significantly Harmful” Information (2020)

·       ABA Formal Op. 20-491  Obligations Under Rule 1.2(d) to Avoid Counseling or Assisting in a Crime or Fraud in Non-Litigation Settings (2020)

·       ABA Formal Op. 20-490 Ethical Obligations of Judges in Collecting Legal Financial Obligations and Other Debts (2020)  

    

     If you want lists like this of ABA ethics opinions from past years (back in the 2010's) just email me - I have monitored them and kept lists like this for many years.

     We often think of ethics as a fixed North Star. But look closely at this list, and you’ll see it’s actually a mirror. It reflects the exact moment when our tools changed faster than our traditions.


 


Popular posts from this blog

Careful With Those Lawyer Jokes....

By
Image
I kind of enjoy lawyer jokes, but the media tried to make it sound like this was a case of egregious overlawyering. Notice at the end of the article that these guys complain they've been standing outside Long Island courthouses mocking lawyers " for years " without being arrested: "The pair said that for years they have stood outside courthouses on Long Island and mocked lawyers." Duh. You didn't expect one of those evil, assertive lawyers to get sick of it and complain at some point? As a practitioner, I didn't enjoy standing in line outside the courthouse in the freezing New England weather any more than the rest of the people - actually probably less, because most people appearing on charges seemed to bring friends and family with them to keep them company. These protestors really must not have enough to do! Get a job or something! If somebody finally decided he'd had enough, how was he supposed to know these guys were there that day fo...
Read more

Special-Interest Law Schools

By
I mentioned this article earlier in passing. The link in the title leads to the relatively even-handed treatment of Jerry Falwell's new Christian law school in Legal Affairs. (The first class of students there must have completed their first set of final exams by now). I would not be interested in teaching there myself, and worry about their bar passage rate, etc., but most of the criticisms in the media have been overblown. I like special interest law schools. They form a nice complement to the rest of our institutions, the 200 or so law schools that collectively graduate nearly 40,000 new but mostly generic practitioners every year. It enriches our legal system to have a subset of lawyers whose skills are devoted to and oriented around a particular social cause, instead of whatever case walks in the door and pays the bills. (My stint as a legal aid lawyer left me biased, though). It enriches social movements and NGO's to have lawyers who do more than take occasional pro bo...
Read more

The Complete Administrative Law Lecture Series (142 Videos) by Professor Dru Stevenson

By
Image
  🏛️ New: The Complete Administrative Law Lecture Series is Now Public I am pleased to announce the public availability of the complete Administrative Law lecture series for the Fall 2025 semester. This series includes 46 new videos posted in the last seven months, covering the core principles of the administrative state and essential topics for the bar exam and legal practice. The videos cover the full spectrum of agency power, including rulemaking, adjudication, and the critical role of judicial review. As a Professor of Law at South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL), this is the definitive, up-to-date guide for current legal analysis. Why This Content is Essential Now (H2) The Supreme Court’s recent decisions have fundamentally reshaped the landscape of Administrative Law, making new, up-to-date analysis essential for students and practitioners alike. This series includes new videos focused on: ⚖️ Statutory Interpretation and Deference (H3) New analysis on the Chevron doct...
Read more