Why You Should Attend

Lawyers in many practice areas will run into situations where a client’s diminished capacity is an issue. This program will address the challenges and ethical issues for pro bono and legal services lawyers that arise when representing individuals with diminished capacity, whether because of mental illness, substance abuse or other factors. The panel will explore ethical issues that lawyers must address and offer approaches and strategies that lawyers may consider in carrying out representation in these circumstances.

What You Will Learn

After completing this program, participants will be able to:

Recognize and understand the unique confidentiality concerns that can arise when working with clients experiencing mental health, substance abuse or capacity issues
Manage complex conflicts and communications issues 
Navigate the duty of loyalty
Assist clients with diminished capacity in a variety of contexts
Apply and practice these newly developed concepts and skills through hypothetical fact patterns to illustrate how these ethical questions arise in legal services and pro bono practice settings.

Who Should Attend

Pro bono volunteers at law firms and corporate law departments, legal aid and nonprofit attorneys, law students, solo and small firm practitioners, social service providers working with legal services, along with attorneys in any practice setting working with clients experiencing diminished capacity, would benefit from attending.

PLI offers full scholarships, registration fee waivers, and discounts to attend PLI programs for attorneys, paralegals, law librarians, and staff working for nonprofit/legal services organizations; pro bono attorneys/volunteers (providing no-fee legal assistance to clients individually or through a nonprofit organization); government attorneys; judges and judicial law clerks; law professors and law students; retired attorneys; independent/freelance paralegals; unemployed attorneys; and others with financial hardships.