TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jul 23, 2026

The American Bar Association (ABA) released Formal Opinion 524 on July 22 to clarify government lawyers’ obligations when knowing of a public official’s or employee’s violation or intended violation of a legal obligation or the law. The opinion states that government lawyers should look to Model Rules of Professional Conduct 1.13(b) and (c) when they know of an intended or ongoing violation that would be “imputed” to the organization and likely or reasonably certain to result in “substantial injury to the organization.” The opinion concludes that credibility of government depends on compliance with the law and that lawbreaking by the government causes injury not just to third party victims, but also to the public’s trust in government and, ultimately, to the government entity itself. Read more in a press release from the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics And Professional Responsibility.