Is the term “legal ethics” really an oxymoron?
The differences, and the seeming dichotomy, between the rules of legal [professional] ethics and the philosophies of personal and professional morals and integrity have engendered much antagonism between legal professionals and the general public, and have provided a continuous source of confusion and vexation for those who work within the legal profession. A disturbing result is that lawyers and clients are often at a loss to discern where – and if – the rules of ethics and the philosophies of morals and integrity meet! There needs to be more clarity and awareness of the differences between legal (or any profession’s) ethics, and personal integrity or morals. Indisputably, the rules of ethics perform a vital function in governing the professions; however, mere technical Ethics DO NOT EQUAL Morals + IntegrityE NOT= M + I]–>. There is, indeed, a “golden rule” of legal ethics which, properly understood and applied, while following the Way of its underlying philosophical premise, can end
