Florida Bar Professionalism Code

These aspirational guidelines were
adopted by the Board of Governors of
The Florida Bar on May 16, 1990.
As The Florida Bar grows, it
becomes more important to articulate our
ideals of professionalism and to emulate
such ideals by deed. To The Florida
Bar, Lawyer Professionalism includes:
(1) a commitment to serve others;
(2) being dedicated to the proper use of
one’s knowledge to promote a fair and just
result;
(3) endeavoring always to enhance one’s
knowledge and skills;
(4) ensuring that concern for the desired
result does not subvert fairness, honesty,
respect and courtesy for others with whom
one comes into contact, be they fellow
professionals, clients, opponents, public
officials, including members of the judiciary,
or the public;
(5) contributing one’s skill, knowledge
and influence as a lawyer to further the
profession’s commitment to serving others
and to promoting the public good, including
efforts to provide all persons, regardless
of their means or popularity of
their causes, with access to the law and
the judi-cial system;
(6) educating the public about the
capabilities and limits of the profession,
specifically what it can achieve and the
appropriate methods of obtaining those
results; and
(7) accepting responsibility for
one’s own professional conduct as well
as others in the profession, including inculcating
a desire to uphold professional
standards and fostering peer regulation
to ensure each member is competent and
public-spirited.
To reinforce and communicate
the ideals of lawyer professionalism
among our members, and particularly, to
take the “abrasions” out of our conduct
with others, particularly our colleagues
at the Bar, The Florida Bar adopts
the following statement of ideals and
aspirational goals:

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