Trial attorney Gary Gwilliam shares with you his ethical advice for maintaining an ethical practice. Gary has been an attorney since 1963 and is considered one of the best consumer trial attorneys in the state. He has tried over 180 jury cases, of which more than 100 were personal injury cases. He has handled major cases in every area of consumer law, including serious automobile and construction accidents, products liability, medical malpractice, bad faith insurance, civil rights, wrongful termination and employment discrimination.
In this course, Gary provides insight from his lengthy career as a trial attorney and shares advice on ways how to remain ethical in your own practice. The main topics discussed include how lawyers get into ethical problems, stress & the ethical demands of practicing law, substance abuse & legal ethics, the importance of winning & practicing ethically and achieving balance in our practices. Further topics discussed include how attorneys can practice with integrity, avoiding state bar discipline, avoiding putting self interest above the client?s interest, how to treat loses as challenges & opportunities for growth, the fiduciary relationship with the client, conflict & the legal profession how substance abuse affects your judgment, dealing with workaholism, getting out of balance due to work issues, taking care of yourself to practice ethically, relationships, what it’s like to be a lawyer and aging.
Gary is a former president of the Consumer Attorneys of California and was nominated Trial Lawyer of the Year in 1995 and 1996 by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. Gary is also a recipient 2001 of the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year Award for employment law. A noted lecturer and motivational speaker, he has conducted seminars and workshops around California and the United States for many years. His ethics seminar, “How to Get a Winning Verdict in Your Personal Life,” won him a Consumer Attorneys of California Presidential Award in 1994. He is the author of numerous articles on California consumer law and is frequently called upon to serve as an expert witness on the standard of care for lawyers’ conduct. Recipient of the Public Justice Foundation’s Champion of Justice Award 2009, Gary Gwilliam mentors attorneys on such challenges as alcoholism, stress, work/life balance, and dealing with losses.