The goals of the Center on Ethics and the Legal Profession are to:

• Deepen understanding of the legal profession and how developments in a wide range of practice settings raise ethical issues and shape lawyers’ understanding of themselves as professionals;
• Draw on insights from this interdisciplinary research to help students prepare to navigate the dynamic challenges of law practice; and
• Increase awareness of the variety of ways in which lawyers can further democratic values. meaningful justice, and security in the global community.

An important focus of the Center is to pursue these goals in order to assist the Law Center in its efforts to meet the obligation established by the American Bar Association to “provide substantial opportunities to students for … the development of a professional identity.” ABA Interpretation 303-5 states:

• [P]rofessional identity focuses on what it means to be a lawyer and the special obligations lawyers have to their clients and society. The development of a professional identity should involve an intentional exploration of the values, guiding principles, and well-being practices considered foundational to successful legal practice. Because developing a professional identity requires reflection and growth over time, students should have frequent opportunities during each year of law school and in a variety of courses and co-curricular and professional development activities.

The Center conducts research, issues publications, sponsors events and speakers, and closely interacts with both scholars and practitioners in pursuit of these goals. As the link on this webpage describes, the Center has four programs that serve as vehicles for this work: The Program on Technology, Ethics, and the Legal Profession; the Program on Law, Ethics, and International Security; the Program on Lawyers and Democracy; and the Program on Lawyers, Business, and Human Rights.

The Center has a long-standing relationship in which it advises and supports the work of the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, for which Center Faculty director Mitt Regan and Center Senior Fellow Michael Frisch are advisors. This includes assistance with advice on article submissions; advice on and support for symposia, speakers, and other events; guidance on journal administration; and assistance in developing student Note topics.