Certified Legal Professional (CLP) Practice Exam

What ethical concern arises from the attorney representing a client involved in illegal activities while lobbying for legalization?

1. The attorney should have advised against the lobbying

2. The attorney may compromise their professional integrity

3. The attorney is encouraging illegal behavior

4. The attorney is not prepared to defend the client’s actions

The correct answer is: The attorney may compromise their professional integrity

The concern regarding an attorney representing a client involved in illegal activities while lobbying for legalization primarily revolves around the attorney's professional integrity. Attorneys are held to high ethical standards which require them to act with honesty, maintain the confidence of their clients, and uphold the law. When an attorney represents a client engaged in illegal activities, particularly while actively lobbying for changes in the law that would legalize those activities, it creates a significant ethical dilemma. This situation can cause a conflict between the attorney’s obligation to the client and their duty to uphold the law and the legal profession's standards. The attorney risks their professional integrity by being associated with illegal activities, as they may be seen as endorsing or facilitating such behavior. This potential compromise of integrity can undermine the trust placed in attorneys by the public and their clients, as well as weaken the legal system overall. The other options, including advising against the lobbying, encouraging illegal behavior, and being unprepared to defend the client’s actions, do not capture the essence of the integrity issue as directly as the concern of compromising professional integrity does. They reflect other related issues but do not specifically address the broader ethical concern of maintaining integrity in the practice of law.